


Past-Future Diary

by NervousAliceCurious



Series: Escape the Night Fandom 3 - Lost Fragments [3]
Category: Original Work, Our ETerNity Together (Web Series AU)
Genre: Birds, F/M, Gen, In-Between World, Probably some sanity slippage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 78
Words: 32,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26004856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAliceCurious/pseuds/NervousAliceCurious
Summary: The memories go on...as do the present changes.
Series: Escape the Night Fandom 3 - Lost Fragments [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1603276
Comments: 278
Kudos: 3





	1. Aug. 20th, 2020, Thurs.: Midnight Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> Cw: Death mention, kinda hopelessness. Looming dread. Drinking. Knife mention.

Where did this come from?

It-couldn’t have been... _her...._

Could it?

_We’d left that world._

.....I don’t really get it, but....

Someone with that much power probably knows everything in an enclosed space like that.

_Maybe?_

_I don’t know._

_My throat closes up at just the thought of even saying her name._

_...._

I guess it’s nice, but...

They haven’t heard, have they?

_*_

_“I’m back!”_

_“Hey”._

_I nod-_

_“I’m surprised everything still works”._

_“Me too”, she says, “but at least it does”._

_“Yeah”._

_. . . I’m not sure what to...do now._

_I’m glad we don’t have to worry, for the time being, but even so._

_I stopped it all._

Feels kind of empty.

....If I don’t tell her what I need to tell her, will I lose her too?

_That’d be some punishment-_

_“. . . Are you sure you’re okay?”_

_“Huh-“_

_“You seem kind-of...down”._

_“Wh-what, me?”_

_I physically jump-_

_“N-nothing’s wrong._

_Why would anything be wrong-“_

_“-Are you trying to confess to people or something?”_

_“P-people?”_

_“I don’t know”._

_She shrugs._

_“I just remember that you were into somebody and they kept forgetting what you said...but I forget who”._

_She flaps a hand._

_“Anyway, I’m behind you 100%, whoever it is-“_

-!?

Of-of all the-!??

_“-Is that not it?”_

That’s what she recalls of...the encounter-

_“I’m...”_

_I can’t figure out if I want to laugh or cry._

_“How do you always know what I’m thinking?”_  
_“Friends do that”._

_She drinks more water._

_“. . . . . . . . .”_

_“....I wish I could...but there’s too many obstacles, it feels like.....”_

_“Well do you know why they keep forgetting?”_

_“Fate? Some spell? It’s...”_

_I sigh._

_“In the Grand Scheme of Things I guess it’s not that important...but. . .it’s...hard for me to talk-“_

_“Hmm....”_

_She puts down the cup._

_“It’s not good to bottle it up, either...”_

_If only I didn’t_ have _to._

_“Yeah...but....maybe I could’ve used one of those orbs for it?_

_It’s not as if I_ haven’t _been working to get this far...”_

_Although my methods weren’t particularly...great, either._

_“There must be some way to make it stick”._

_“Why don’t you ask Mystic or someone?”_

_“...What for?”_

_“If you keep doing stuff without permission, it_ won’t _stick, right?”_

 _“......After everything. . . .if_ that _was a glimpse of the future-“_

_“You’re not aiming to end it, so...?”_

_“She has no reason to do_ anything _for me, let alone anything I want...”_

_“An apology might help. . .”_

_I gulp._

_“....Would it?”_

_“Do you have any other ideas?”_

_“....”_

_Nothing concrete...yet._

_“If you keep burning all your bridges it’ll just hurt you later-“_

_I rub my head._

_“Yeah...yeah....”_

_I’m exhausted, and I’ve barely even moved._

_-There’s a CRASH!! from outside._

_“What the-!??”_

_“Huh-“_

  
_We both rush to the door-_

_“...Oh dear, what a mess......”_

_Someone in a dark-purple cloak is currently in the middle of scooping objects back into a medical kit._

_< 3_

I have no idea who gave me this, but it is now mine.

_-The first thing I do is majestically throw it onto the floor._

-Oops.

_The lid popped, didn’t it._

_“.....Oh dear, what a mess....”_

_“Michael!?”_

_“What-“_

_I stand up too fast, and whack into somebody’s nose._

_“Ow-“_

_“No, I can’t pay your hospital bills”._

_“Did you meet up with the others?”_

_And_ there _is Alice._

_“I would have loved to-only I got caught instead”._

_“By who?”_

_The Plant Man sounds congested-_

_“Don’t know...”_

If I did, they’d have literal **Hell** to pay.

_“I escaped, and then died._

_And then I made my own way back, so no one’s dead._

_I hope”._

_“How!?”_

_Envy is practically sputtering-_

_“The Wells-“_

_“Not for me. I_ would r _eveal my secrets...but I won’t”._

_“You-“_

_“I’m just glad you’re okay”._

-Oh?

_I am hugged._

_“Thank...you...”_

_I try to pat her on the head._

_Everything still looks like black blobs, but at least I don’t smack her in the eye-_

_“You’re welcome!”_

_“-Do you think whoever tried to kill you will come back!?”_

_“-It’s not like I’m alone, is it?”_

_I smile, but my ribs hurt._

_“The In-Between is pretty hard to haunt, besides”._

_“...Are you gonna stay?”_

_-I_ wasn’t...

_“I really_ wouldn’t _rather lure problems into your area....”_

_I finish stocking up._

_“But wouldn’t it be dangerous to stay out on your own?”_

_“I could rinse and repeat-“_

_“And risk your life?”_

_Envy grabs ahold of the kit before I can disappear-_

_“I’ll be ready...as soon as I get some knives-“_

_“Don’t underestimate this world!”_

_“Of course not. I have_ no _intention of dying again-“_

_I let out a breath._

_“And since you seem incredibly mentally open, she might take a potshot at_ you”.

_Alice pales._

_“You both know I’m right...”_

_“...Yeah, but...what if she keeps trying to kill you off until you break?”_

_“....What do you want me to do?”_

_I grin-_

_“Stay dead?”_

_They **freeze-**_

_“-Oh come on._

_I don’t mean it-“_

_I cough-_

_“A-Anyway, why would I want to get stuck in the wrong Hell?”_

_“Um...”_

_“. . . .”_

_Envy’s posture makes me think he wants to kick a wall._

_“Why can’t we ever_ do _anything....”_

_“Because we’re not the heroes”, I hypothesize?_

_**Boy,** if looks could kill._

_“Just saying.....”_

_-Though to be honest...now they have_ me _paranoid._

_“....You two may want to re-think still be hanging around here?_

_And where’s the identical twin?”_

_-She stares at me for .2 seconds._

_“Oh! Candy Pop-“_

_“He’s frozen...” Envy murmurs._

_“Rough....”_

_I look around-_

_“I guess you’d better have a plan, huh?”_

_"Like what..."_

_"I have Dream power-" Alice suggests-_

_"And I have vines, but I don't-"_

_"Perfect as pie", I say, "Now where's your knife collection?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael's Death Adventures: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25999546


	2. Meanwhile In Bird Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After trouble, then what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brief eating mention, worry, suffocated by too much love and agenda. Brief mention of nakedness.

_"Celeste?! Celeste!"_

We all surround her-

Though Emmy takes up the most space.

"Oh thank the Songbird, you're alive!"

A forehead kiss.

_Ew. . ._

"You know, you really should be asking her before doing things like that”, Colleen admonishes, but she gets brushed aside.

"I was so worried that you had suffered some sort of horrid injury”.

"I'm fine...”

Mystic tries to get up, but is pushed back down.

"No, no, no, not so quickly, dearest Celeste. We don't want you to get dizzy. Once you're relatively well, I think a visit to the spa is in order”.

"Didn't I have one like 2 hours ago?"

"There's simply no such thing as too much pampering”.

"-I mean, if you don't want it, I'll take it”.

"Aoibhe!" Colleen hisses-

"What?! I could feel like a mermaid!"

_Oy..._

“I apologize”, Emmy says, "But I would like this to just be for Celeste. Perhaps another time”.

"H-huh?"

_Oh that doesn’t sound good-_

"It will be perfectly fine”, she reassures, “No harm shall come to you”.

"Wait....would I have to take my clothes off?"

"Well, I was certainly hoping we could wash your hair once again."

_But_ why-

"That doesn't sound healthy for my hair”, Mystic protests, “Anyway, I'm shy about taking my clothes off in front of strangers, but I also don't like to bathe in clothes. Maybe we could do this another time?"

"But we so wish to pamper you, dearest”.

"The others should be pampered too”.

"They'll get their chance”.

_I highly doubt we will._

"You really don't----"

"Oh, but I insist. We'll use the privacy curtain again”.

She looks at us...but what can we do?

I end up shrugging-

She sighs.

"How long will this take?"

"Depends on the treatment”.

"Okay”.

-Her smile’s like a kid at Christmas as she leads Mystic onto the Throne-With-Poles.

_Creepy. . ._

“Whoa!”

“What’s that-“

“Aww-“

A white bird!

Gold feathers-

It lands on the armrests, and sings.

_Weird._

After a time, we also get dropped off at the spas....

But I can’t sit still.

I wander out....

_Envy...Candy Pop....Michael?_

Surely, he’d found the others by now...right?

_Where are you. . . . ._

But I got no reply.

And so, I sat in the Dining Hall, worrying-

"How's the breeze?" asks Liza-

"What about the spa? You took a while in there”, I mention.

Almost _too_ long-

"I think I zoned out”.

"You did actually”, Aoi chimes in, “You were in there for like.....3 hours”.

"You counted?"

"No....I just know it was for a long time”.

Then the actual dinner arrived, but I kept my head down the whole time.

I don’t even remember what I ate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I can't sleep-  
> I got dive-bombed by a spider.


	3. Down The Well, Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the first half of the sacrifices begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Death, who's worth living discussion, guilt, lots of crying, falling. And language. And soft Yandere-ism. Injury implied. Insensivity.

_“Sorry about that. . .”_

_Envy grimaces, at the natural break._

_“Candy Pop and I...had Well issues. . .”_

_“Right-you said some people came back-“_

_“I was busy being stuck._

_Or dead-“_

_Michael ties more bandages tight._

_I heave a heavy sigh._

_“You guys make me worry a lot, you know?”_

_“I’m more worried about you”, my Plant friend says._

_“You were in the literal Bird’s Nest right then-“_

_“Yeah ...”_

_“-Is this your kitchen?”_

_Purple Boy peeks in._

_“I think so?”_

_“Oh yay-“_

_He disappears through the dawk maw._

_“Remember the light-!” Envy calls-_

_I wince at the sudden brightness._

_-I can already hear drawers being drawn-_

_“What do we have here?”_

_He rummages-_

. . . . .Does this guy **ever** get fazed at all?

*

"Are you kidding me?! What sort of b*t--?”

-Sybille is less-than-enthused.

"This isn't supposed to happen! This is the exact _opposite_ of what's supposed to happen!”

Even Briar is upset.

"But you can't cheat the system if you don't want to get extracted”.

_We can’t find a better way than **this!??**_

****

"So.....if you want to bring someone back....you've gotta make some tough choices”.

-Everyone looks at each other...

"I mean, should we even _bring_ someone back?” Sylvia asks.

"There are a lot of people who didn't get any chances to do anything”, Stella points out.

"But at the cost of someone else's life?"

"They sacrificed their lives for us”, Tristen adds, “Albeit unwillingly, but is it fair for them to _stay_ dead?”

_No..._

"I think Nina should go. Girl's getting in the way of a perfectly good couple”.

_...Does she really have to_ **die** _for it!??_

Leave it to Nikita-

"We shouldn't decide who's dying”, Montana intervenes, “Until we decide who we bring back”.

-Finally! Before this can get _too_ out-of-hand-

"So who _are_ we bringing back?" DeStorm poises the question:

“Well”, Ines shrugs, “This is just my opinion, but I think bringing back someone like Jesse would give us an advantage. Or Alex”.

"I'm on board with that”, Orpheus chirps, “Jesse was a cool guy”.

"I think we should bring back Kyrie and Cyrille”, Briar puts into the atmostphere, “They were the first to die and didn't get to do much. Seems only fair that we give them a second chance”.

_-Huh?_

_Um...I guess from before I met up with Mystic and Alice and everyone else..._

"But will they be helpful to us?” DeStorm continues on, “Or will they just slow down the group? Because we need people who will pull their weight.

If they can't keep up with the group, that's not just their problem. It holds everyone back. They essentially become dead weights and we need to drop the dead weights”.

"That's a rather morbid philosophy”, Teala gulps...

"I'm just saying that that's what's gonna be for the best of the group. But with all that said, Ines makes a good point. Someone like Jesse will provide us with an advantage”.

"I say we also bring back Lele”, Silvia requests, “If we have someone chaotic, they can help distract the enemies and give us a chance to attack from the other side”.

_And **then** we can keep people from dying after this?_

Seems like a dream within a dream. . .

"See? She's got the right idea”.

"Okay, but we don't know what people like Kyrie and Cyrille are capable of”, Briar keeps going, “For all we know, they could be super helpful to us.

Yeah, they may also hold us back, but if we just leave them dead, then we'll never know”.

........

"That's a decent point, but are you sure you're willing to take that risk?"

"If it'll benefit the group”.

_Ugh....I don’t want to wait anymore....._

"Should we just bring back everyone who died in the Nutcracker relay?" Tristen wonders.

"No, that seems excessive”, Ines objects, “I say, we start with those four and then we'll see if we want to bring back more”.

Nodding-

Why can’t we just...find a way around it?

"We've got a lot of silent people”, Orpheus throws under the bus, “Some of them have barely said anything. Maybe we can throw them down”.

“No, wait, hang on--" Teala defends-

Or tries to, anyway...

"With all due respect,

Nina the H* needs to go”.

_Nikita. . ._

"I was just concerned!" 

"I feel like there's enough of you writers”, DeStorm thankfully distracts-

"For us to bring back everyone”.

"Yeah, but---" 

Stella still says-

"Enough!"

The group quiets-

"We can't fight about this. We need to pick rationally”.

_Thank you, Montana!_

I feel like I'm going to be saying it many occasions more.

"Maybe we should throw Orpheus down there”, Hyacinthe spitefully proclaims, “Since he wants to get all of us quiet ones killed”.

"I'm just trying to get rid of those who won't even try to help”.

"So you're just gonna come for us like we're nothing?" Kasey rebuts.

"A lot of us can be helpful”, Haven backs up, “We just don't get the chance to prove it!"

“Hang on”, Lennox cuts in, “I'm just wondering. Is there anyone who wants to volunteer to bring someone back?”.

Mile-long silence.

B*.

_Whosaidthat-_

Oh, it was Darby.

“Oh! Sorry”, Montana claims, “I forgot you were still there”.

"A lot of us haven't really gotten the chance to say much of anything”, Sequoia surrenders, “So it's reasonable to be shocked”.

"But are any of you volunteering?" Briar wants to know-

"H* no!”

_That was quick-_

Lacey looks insulted.

"I've got a whole life ahead of me. I'm not planning on dying!"

“Plans can change”, Sasha sniffs cold-heartedly-

. . .

"Oh. Okay. Steal that Christmas line from me, won't you?"

"Can we just _kill_ someone already?" Orpheus yells, “I wanna bring some people back”.

"Maybe we should ask someone to pick for us”, Marly suggests, “An outside observer”.

They all turn to Naegi-san-

He shakes his head.

So-

"M-me?!"

How am _I_ supposed to pick?

(Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells There-Wait, what!??)

"You've been kind of an outsider”, Cedar explains, “So you don't seem to have a bias for or against too many of us”.

Of course not!

Not _yet-_

_All I’ve been doing is voting Joey every time-_

"Okay but Makoto--"

"The dude went through a killing game!" Haven shouts at me, “Do you actually expect us to tell him to kill one of us?”

. . .

"-Look. We'll tell you who we're bringing back”, Montana compromises, “And then you point to one of us at random, don't think too hard on it either. You can close your eyes if you want to”.

. . .I gulp and do so...

“Okay”, I hear, “This one's to bring back Jesse”.

My finger trembles...as I lift it-

I can’t speak, my throat is closing up-

"Uh....Envy?"

_What now-_

"You need to be facing us for this to work”.

Haven speaking-

-Huh!?

There’s no one there.

_Did I...Did I do that subconsciously-_

I reluctantly spin myself around, and close my eyes again.

And...

Point. . .

_I’m so sorry..._

I open them.

"What? N-no!"

Sasha...

"Guys, don't do this!"

"I'm sorry”, Montana sighs, “But we need people to come back”.

Caelan and Marly detain her so she can’t run off.

“.... How do we do this?" Montana intones.

"Help! Please! I don't want to die!"

Makoto (can I call him that?) tenses, but...

"You....you just say the name of the person you want to bring back and then the person......they go into the well”.

-They drag her over to the edge, while she _screams._

I feel the urge to clamp my arms over my ears--

"Jesse Wellens”.

“Please. . . Please don't let my death be for nothing”, she cries...

They let go, then push.

She tumbles, head over heels.

Nary a sound-

......I strain, but it’s bottomless to the point where I can’t make out the impact.

_It probably leads straight to Death herself._

_Or **themselves-**_

"I-I know she didn't do much”, Darby quivers, “But....God....no one wants to see someone die, especially when they could stop it”.

_-They said we **couldn’t.**_

****

_Bit late now to care, don’t you think?_

.....Yana curls into a ball, while Sybille keeps a vain effort for composure.

"Something _has_ to happen, We didn't push Sasha down that god forsaken well for nothing”.

...........................................................................................................................................................

But time is going by, with no sign-

A _pit_ forms in my stomach.

_"Hello? Is someone there?"_

_-Can it be-!?_

Jesse, standing by the edge like it’s nothing-

_He’s **really** back-!!_

"Jesse!" 

Kasey, and a few others rush to give him many, tear-stained hugs.

"Let me feel you, please”, Briar sobs, “I need to know if this is legit”.

He doesn’t make a fuss, and when they’re done-

"It's really you!"

"Of course it's me”, he chuckles confusedly, “What the h* happened?”

"We had to sacrifice someone to bring someone else back”.

-Then Nina realizes.

"And now....we have to do that....at least three more times”.

Shock ripples through everyone else. . .

I can barely see past my own tears.

_Why do we have to-_

_There must be another way._

_A **better** way-_

“Okay, this one's for Lele”, Montana decides.

....I make sure I’m facing them this time, and then I point.

"No...."

_Who’d I pick?_

I see just in time, _Caelan_ being dragged to the Well.

"This is sick!

Darby’s taken over his spot.

He’s on the edge, _not_ staring into the abyss, unlike poor-

"You held Sasha when she had to die, what makes this different?!” Lacey shoots him down-

"You don't know what the fear's like until it's _you_ up on here!"

_And I agree._

"Lele Pons”.

They let him go, and push him over.

His last cry fades. . . . .

......................................................................................................................................................

_"¿Hola? ¿Alguien aquí?"_

-I have no idea what that means, but...

Several more burst into tears and go tackle-hug _her_ when she appears.

"What the h*?"

"It's you! You're alive”, Tristen weeps on her-

"Uhh, yeah...."

_Do they lose their memories or something when they return?_

"You're not surprised?"

“No, I am”, she corrects, “I'm just trying to process what the f* just happened”.

_Ah._

"Okay”, Montana blurts out of nowhere, “I think we need a little break”.

Everyone sits roughly, she trudges off somewhere, and I try to keep from crying.

_I may as well have partially murdered them both...if not outright._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Envy is gonna crack once the Bird news comes in too....


	4. The Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning about the Other World has its price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Death, implied death, hanging torture.

“-You’re just in time”.

“In time for what-“

Sasha’s portrait quite literally falls, and _shatters._

“What!?”

“Some kind of death challenge or sacrifice, probably...”

The purple-haired woman is eerily calm.

“There might be more”.

“Is that so?”

-She turns at the _other_ voice.

“-You disappeared, didn’t you?”

“That I did”.

. . .

They don’t say anything more until Jesse’s portrait materializes into the empty spot.

“A Revival...”

“It’s a Sacrifice then”.

-I’m not really sure what they’re talking about, and I kinda don’t like it.

-Not long after that, Caelan’s portrait falls and shatters.

“-How many of these are there going to be-?”

“Since they like to be extravagant, probably four”.

The red-eyed person huffs.

. . . .Sometime later, Lele’s portrait materializes.

“Um...”

I have so many questions _and_ I feel like I’m going to throw up at the same time.

“Where are-“

“They left with Naegi-kun after Jaiden and Rene got kicked back in”.

I _freeze._

“What is it-“

“I have to tell them what I saw...”

The red-eyed man grins.

“WHAT!??”

-It wasn’t hard to find them, he has an angelic glow.

“She’s _dead,_ and the other’s _gone!??”_

Vero spins on the Sugarplum Fairy, hands clutching her throat with the strength of a Demon.

Oh wait-

 **_“That_ ** _does it!!_

Our agreement is null and void!!!”

“Fair. . .”

She chokes out-

Tears run down Naegi-san’s face...

I can’t tell if it’s _also_ because of us, or not.

“But...you still... _need_ me-“

“Actually, we don’t”.

She stiffens.

At the realization that I am not here alone.

“....You’re back”.

“I am”.

The **_evil_** grin-

“How can we be certain you won’t sell _Alex_ out since he’s the only one left to save?”

She smiles, herself-

I have a sinking feeling.

I don't know anything about _this_ new guy. . .

“W-wait-“

“I should’ve known, of all people...it would be _you_ who finishes me off”.

He follows up with a chain to the throat.

“No!!”

-I get brushed into the wall.

She chokes, clawing at her neck.

Struggling to aim her wand-

Vero takes it.

Her wings flutter, but the other dude holds his ground...

_I should have known...._

Eventually....her strangled breaths stop coming.

Her limbs slump, fingertips bloody......

He tosses her corpse through the Mirror that stole him for about a year and three months as one last bit of poetic irony/justice.

_Oh my God. . ._

Out of everyone in this entire world....

“Glad to have you back, Morivin”.

Vero smiles wolfishly-

“It’s good to _be_ back”.

_He’s the only one to get what he wants..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The best is yet to come.
> 
> Vero belongs to Mama-Devil/charlottelaantz.  
> Morivin belongs to IvyDarkRose.


	5. Refusal Of despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Alex in hand, the next phase begins...maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Death warning.

“You can’t go through the portraits?”

I only know he was gone from what he told me on the way there.

And back.

“Not now”, I swallow...

I still can’t believe I saw that. . .

“Hmm...”

-He grips Delta’s portrait by the edges and rips it right off the wall-!??

“Hey, be careful-!!”

“If you break that, she might die”, Kirigiri-san warns.

“That’d be a better fate than what you said she has now”, is the blunt reply...

“....I _could_ bring her back...both of them”.

“Eh!? You can-“

“I used to be a mad scientist for a living”.

_You say that so unapologetically-_

. . . . Who have I put my life in the hands of again?

“If she’s been kidnapped by the Pink-Blonde Idiot, I would _assume_ some blackmail fuel is in order”.

“But what’s precious to her, though?”

-I honestly don’t remember that much...

“We can always find out”.

_-You were gone for like, forever, **how** are you more cheerful than me!??_

“That’s right- She’s an author”.

Her eyes snap-

“If you can discover through her works-“

“We can go find them and track her down...”

“....Sounds like a plan”, I wince weakly-

_You’re all moving too fast for me-_

She starts typing into a phone-

_I’m..._

_Sigh._

I guess we’re coming Delta. . .

Eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyyyy


	6. Something Deeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the Future, it's full of fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Knives, discussed death, body horror. Betrayal, and impending doom, and struggling...mentally struggling. Existential death? Dark sides discussed. Being lost. Anxiety...Talking of insanity.

_“Poor Sasha and Caelan...”_

_“This is why I **avoided** those Wells”._

_I sigh..._

_“Yeah...well, it got worse, so-“_

_I try to keep it together..._

_“Just...thought you should know......before you hear it from anyone else”._

_I can’t keep my eyes from tearing up._

_“-I have no interesting memories to share other than the fact that I got hurt fifty-thousand times, sooo-“_

_Wide grin._

_“That was a nice memory session-“_

_I resist the urge to do an eyeroll._

It’s like Candy Pop has a little brother.

_With a series of thumps, he starts laying out the sharp cutlery._

_“You really think that will do it?”_

_“Nnno”._

_He bites his purple lip._

_“Best shot we have, though, isn’t it?”_

_...I am unconvinced._

_“What I saw wasn’t....exactly tangible-“_

_“Shoot...I knew I should’ve tracked down my bombs-!”_

_-When was the last time you ever heard someone say that!?_

_“Bombs?”_

_“Yeah, I had a whole belt-ful...”_

_He shakes his head._

_“Such a waste”._

_“We don’t exactly want to blow this place sky-high, though-!”_

_“Relax, realaaax, I’ve done this before-“_

_“-Do I want to know how?”_

_“Well. . .”_

_Alice breaks in..._

_“He did make it all the way back up here from being dead.....”_

_“You could_ tell _them how!” I realize-_

_“Maybe”._

_Those purple irises shift-_

_“I’ll write it in permanent-marker across Candy Pop’s arm”._

_-I nearly laugh out loud._

_“He’ll love that-“_

_“Then no one will ever forget-ooh”._

_“Oh no”._

_He clicks the cap of a pink sharpie._

_“-Yessss-“_

_-He winks._

_“Don’t go looking for him on your own...”_

_I_ still _don’t want to underestimate this place._

_“Okay-“_

_“Y-yeah!”_

_Alice speaks up-_

_“It’s never a good idea to be alone”._

_“Speaking of, what brings you two to In-Between World?”_

_“...”_

_She looks at me._

_I look at her-_

_“W-we-“ I cough, “We came back-from somewhere with no magic...so.....”_

_“Ahh”._

_He examines a blade, having hidden the drawing tool away somewhere._

_“You_ do _know the rest of the universes have decided to close themselves to_ anyone _from the Land of Fiction?_

_No one can get in_ or _out, unless the creator of these worlds permits it”._

_“What?”_

_My heart jumps-_

_“It’s true...”_

_Now he’s filing his nails._

_“That’s what I heard while I was dead-“_

_“....That’s so scary”, Alice shivers._

_We...we couldn’t escape.....anywhere....._

_Not unless...unless_ Alice _said so-_

_My balance fails, and I lean on the counter._

_“This is bad...”_

_“What did you all expect?”_

_He snorts._

_“You have a Whirlwind of Death, Destruction, and Stalking going on at every turn, everyone **knows** by now”._

_“But even if-“_

_It’s staggering to think about._

_“....C.G. can’t possibly take over everywhere, then...?"_

_“Not unless he gets in the Creators’ heads. And a lot of them are more strong-willed than your little Band of Writers...anything’s stronger than only one after all...and its citizens won’t be defeated so easily._

_He’s only as powerful as ETN, in fact, and even_ that _is waning now”._

_“Why?”_

_I haven't heard that-_

_“Creator issues”._

_He sets down the knife._

_“And a rather nasty pandemic making Season 5 impossible to get to at the moment-“_

What is this, karma for everyone the show ever killed?

_-Is it wrong a part of me wants it to be true..._

_I take a breath._

_“So Reality’s only in as much trouble as we are...”_

_“Yup-prepare for 28 years in the future-“_

_“What!??”_

_“That’s-that’s a long time!!” Alice exclaims, shocked-_

_“What’s the matter? You didn’t expect_ that, _either?”_

_“It’s not a funny joke”, I hiss._

_“You’re right”, he agrees._

_“But it also means you get to cut loose some, yeah?”_

_I bristle-_

_“Your life could end at any minute”, I remind him, “How can you be so calm?”_

_“They want me to be afraid”._

_He snickers._

_“But I refuse-“_

_“....”_

_Alice lifts a knife from the row._

_“. . . . .”_

_“Something wrong?”_

_She taps the metal._

_“Just...worrying”._

_“About what?”_

_“The fog....”_

_Her shoulders sink._

_“I don’t know....it just.....seems too easy-“_

_“You think there’s more?”_

_“Maybe....”_

_She tucks it away._

_“I-have this-“_

_I can’t breathe._

_It’s a Wish-_

_“As a farewell? I don’t...know.....it might not do anything at all”._

_“But...you’re in your own body-“_

_“Yeah...”_

_Michael sits there, watching._

_Clearly he doesn’t have a clue-_

_“....”_

_The thought that she might be...hypnotized in some fashion despite what I did..._

_It_ terrifies _me._

_It’s like............._

_Powerlessness..._

_“Envy? Are you alright?”_

_“. . .”_

_Am I?_

_I shudder._

_“I’m fine. . .”_

_I’m not..._

_Would they believe us?_

_Believe me-_

_If we told them what we’d theorized-_

_Or would they ignore it only to lose Alice’s freedom in the process?_

-They wouldn’t let her go like that.

She’s the best friend, isn’t she?

_-Or did I manage to ruin_ that _opinion of her?_

I don’t know.

I don’t know-

I don’t want that to sit there.

Poison the air-

We already have enough to worry about.

I almost can’t stand it...

_“Envy...?”_

Huh-

_They’re both staring at me._

_“.....I’m okay”._

_“Hyperventilating says otherwise”, Purple Boy quips-_

_I scowl._

_“It’s just. . .Alice, aren’t you scared? If we’re right-“_

_“...Genevieve or Cecelia could do something”._

_“But if the plot demands it, it happens”._

_I **hate** how I sound-_

_“I’m...sorry.....”_

_I gulp..._

_Michael awkwardly creates knife dominoes._

_“I guess....I’m just losing it....slightly-“_

_Now we have the raised eyebrow..._

_“If what Michael said is true, I_ could _let you out...”_

_“They’d see it as a betrayal, Alice”._

_“But...”_

_She trails off._

_“...........”_

_I couldn’t answer her even if I wanted to._

_My fingers dig into the counter edge..._

_If I_ didn’t _care-_

_Still._

_Just...leaving her in uncertainty._

_I’m..._

_“You have an ‘I’m going to do something drastic’ look on your face”._

_He’s not even turned in my direction, how does_ he _know!??_

_I glance at him, but he’s busy setting up his makeshift dominoes again._

_“What kind of drastic thing?”_

_-And now she’s worried even more._

_“....I don’t know-“_

_I_ really _don’t know._

_“I don’t know.....”_

_“Envy...it’s gonna be fine”._

_She hugs me..._

_. . . . .Is it really her doing it, though?_

_“......”_

_I don’t know._

_I don’t...believe it._

_I don’t know if this can wait........_

_“...?”_

_She tilts her head-_

_“Hey Alice...”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“-Can you give us permission? To travel-“_

_I elaborate when she looks at me confused-_

_“Just in case...”_

_“Oh, sure!”_

_She beams._

_“You both can go wherever you want!”_

_“Thank God...” I hear Michael mumble under his breath._

_-Then he coughs slightly._

_“Thank you”._

_I hug her back...._

_I don’t know what’s coming over me._

_I know what I_ should _do, but at the same time._

_I’m not sure trusting the system is a good idea in a situation like this._

_But what can I do..._

_“Alice?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“-If I came up with a...n idea, would you let me do it?”_

_“What is it?”_

_“It might...”_

_I don’t even have the words to properly tell her-_

_“It won’t end anything”._

_“Okay”._

_“Except...”_

_“Except what?”_

_“If you...have been....programmed, somehow.....”_

_“Yes?”_

_“If...if there’s no_ Alice _to control.....then you’ll be free. Right?”_

_“Huh?”_

_She looks up at me._

_“Wh-what do you mean!?”_

_“I mean...”_

_I can_ **feel** _Michael listening._

_My hands shake._

_I’m...considering this._

_What-_ on earth _am I thinking?_

_But..._

I don’t want...her hope to disappear.

I don’t want her to wake up one day and suddenly it hits her that she’s hurt and betrayed all her friends-

Bad enough someone’s trying to make me into a doll...

If she becomes a puppet...

All that **pain-**

_She always_ did _value freedom._

_“I’m just...what if we can’t stop it before it’s too late?_

_Whatever you do, you’ll have that regret-“_

_“My friends won’t...let it happen, though-“_

_“We don’t have a good track record with that”._

_We **don’t.**_

_“That dark clone-_

_She’ll do whatever it takes, I know it!_

_That’s...what they do-“_

_“....So what...were you saying?”_

_She lightly holds my arms-_

_“I think...if you get another name, you won’t be used anymore”._

_“-!? That’d call for a total identity erasure!” Michael pipes up-_

_“Eh? How would you do that!?”_

_Alice’s gaze snaps from me to him...and then me-_

_“-My friends would_ not _like_ _that-and not to mention if the_ Queen _found out-“_

_“But in the end, you’d be less-likely to be destroyed”._

_I swallow-_

_“I. . ..could they....object to that?”_

_“But...an erasure-“_

_“You’re also literally missing in the Real World. Your body-“_

_“....”_

_“It’s...a horrible option.....but it’s not like it hasn’t happened in the past...has it?”_

_I think back to the days back in the SAE bunker...until now._

_So many new faces-_

_“It’d be like the inversion of adding new people._

_Until Dystic is defeated into a dormant state or...something-“_

_“But...how....?”_

_“You have that wish-“_

_“N-no!”_

_She shakes her head._

_“E-every time I do something for myself, it-“_

_“It does what?”_

_She wipes at her face-_

_“It_ backfires _on me”._

_....I should have known._

_“Well...”_

_If that’s the case..._

_“There is another way...it’s horrific, but-“_   
_“What is it?”_

_“If your heart is crushed...your identity will be, too”._

_“What!?”_

_“Even if you had one transplanted or re-formed after that, you’d_ still _be devoid of all memory....you’d be a completely different person”._

_“-H-how. . .did you-“_

_“W-we almost had one...a couple years back....the townspeople had nightmares about it for weeks”._

_A sweat bead runs down her hairline._

_“C...Could it be fixed?”_

_“If it could, it’d still be unpleasant, but no one would be this...disturbed”._

_“But the Wish Stones-!”_

_“They can’t do everything”._

_I’m vaguely aware of a faint ache in my limbs._

_I’ve tensed up that much-_

_“That’s why...we had to resort to the Well to bring people back”._

_She looks down._

_“....You’d have a second-chance”, I add, “A-and, there are things we could do to remind you....later......I...don’t know. You wouldn’t...become ‘Alice’, again...but.....”_

_I’m..._

_Shaking all over, now......_

_“You....you wouldn’t....be made to be.......a liar toward everyone else, and-and traitors don’t last long, do they?”_

_Colleen’s screams from that penultimate episode._

_I don’t think I’ll ever forget them._

_“We already have one...”_

_If Alice is made to be the second-_

No...

Just...

No.......

_“I don’t...know if I deserve to have your faith in me, but....”_

_I have to ask-_

_“Do you...Can you trust me?”_

_“I...I do...but.....”_

_She chews on her lips._

_“What’ll happen to_ you?”

_..._

_What_ will _happen._

_“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll be yelled at...maybe I’ll be killed. Or turned into a doll-“_

_“I don’t want that-“_

_“Maybe...I could meet up with you sometime? It’d take a while...if...it does happen-we won’t even know where you end up....what you even look like-no one will.....they won’t even know it was you”._

_“I...would like to avoid being controlled-but...the Tokens-“_

_“They’ll want to know about you, too...And let’s face it-“_

_My voice cracks._

_“I’m going to go insane if I stay here....”_

_“-And I will probably die-“ Michael chimes in-_

_“Wh...what about...Candy Pop-“_

_“That wish...you can give it to him? I don’t...know.....if it’d make up for accidentally leaving him out, or....what-“_

_She runs a finger over the glass bead._

_“Yeah. . . . .”_

_Her blue eyes are clouded._

_“You’re really sure I’ll hurt someone?”_

_“There’s no reason to think otherwise...if we look at the past-“_

_.......She puts the wish on the table._

_“Okay...Okay, I’ll.....you.....I don’t want to regret...I don’t want any regrets”._

_“Neither do I”._

_I see Michael scoop it up between forefinger and thumb-_

_“At least if this goes wrong. . .all the blame will land on me”._

_“But you don’t deserve that-“_

_“Maybe I_ do”.

_I push some hair out of my eye-_

_“Maybe it’s what I earn for fighting Fate._

_But at least they won’t be aiming for_ you _anymore....”_

_“. . . .”_

_She pulls me in closer-_

_“How will you tell everyone?”_

_I try to breathe-_

_“I’m...not sure-“_

_Well._

_Actually...._

_I do have_ an _idea..._

_“They might not notice due to the nature of the...the break-“_

_I could write it._

_All of it...._

_But it’s too risky._

_So....._

_“I mean...if they find you gone, and then_ me, _they might figure-“_

_“That’ll just dig you even deeper”._

_“Either way, it won’t look good”._

_. . . But..._

_I_ do _try to leave a note..._

_Despite that...._

Before you panic, we saw some things and it looked like Alice was going to be used as a tool against you.

That’s why she’s not here.

There’s this dark side roaming around promising to be as bad as CG, so we had to resort to other measures.

We don’t know how bad it is, and it’s just better to keep it from ever getting to bloom.

We’ll be back as soon as we figure it out, though they might try to take someone else in the meantime so be careful, okay?

Envy Flora.

Don’t blame anyone else.

Please.

_“You wrote it”._

_She’s surprised._

_“.....We’ll see if it stays”._

_....Silence falls. . . ._

_“Do...you want me to-or, do you-“_

_“...I-can-I might hit the wrong spot-“_

_. . . . I can’t make her do it._

_I_ can’t.

_“It’s...it’s okay-“_

_I know what I have to do-_

_“Alice?”_

_“Um, yeah. . .”_

_She keeps glancing at Michael and his pile of knives._

_“...I love you”._

_I...kind-of lean-in?_

_“May...may I....?”_

_“Yes”._

_I kiss her on the forehead._

_My magic ripples over her. . ._

_Her eyelids flutter._

_I catch her before she can hit the floor._

_“Is it done?”_

_“Yeah...”_

_She probably won’t remember._

_But it’s not as painful._

_Because it's me who's...the reason. . . ._

_“Can you hand me one of those?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thursday?


	7. Aug. 21st, 2020, Fri.: The Humble Abode Of The Society Against Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which somebody never learns that she isn't as alone as she thinks she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Drinking things. Enoshima Junko should be a content warning herself. Implied death threat. Brief mention of death by shooting/guns.

I about spit my tea when somebody bangs _loudly_ upon the door.

_Who could_ that _be!?_

It was pushing 1...

Getting up out of my chair, I meet a fellow agent in the hall.

“Do you know these two?”

I peek through the peephole.

“No. . .I don’t believe I do”.

Although...

One of them does look _rather_ familiar...

“Do you want me to ready the Security?”

“...Perhaps”.

They open a compartment.

“Stay on Standby for now”.

I open the door a crack, Society Weapon hidden from view.

“Hello?

May I help you?”

“Hi...”

-My mind clicks with an identity:

‘Alex Wassabi’.

“Uh-This is really awkward-do you know where Dawn and Benny are?”

“Wh...no, I haven’t heard from them in ages”.

I strain to see the taller figure standing slightly behind him.

“...How did you find this place?”

“We have our ways”.

Green eyes glow...

Interestingly enough, they don’t seem to match any of the ones we have on file, though I suppose a re-look is in order...

“I saw Delta get kidnapped by Enoshima Junko-“

“Delta? Who-“

“Manipulative, Pink-Blonde, Menace”.

. . .I really don’t know who his friend is.

“We know the M.O. is blackmail, and we know that Benny and Dawn are pretty precious to her...so.....we were thinking maybe-“

“-I have never heard of her”.

“Never?”

The second member of the party steps closer.

“She’s allied with the Cursed God, and you don’t even know?”

“...Who are you-“

“-We’ll explain...”, Alex promises, “But you SAE people have a lot of connections, right?

You can track them down in no time-“

“We can try...”

This isn’t the conversation I thought I would be having in the middle of the night.

“-Would you both like to come in?”

“That’d be great. Thanks”.

_-_

After one other portrait faded out and the lucky person got revived, _and_ went home-!!

So did the Support Buddy.

It was too bad for Jaiden though...shot like that....

And Hecuba who’s died before her way back during the camp challenge, much like DeStorm.

_The timeline’s changing again..._

On the bright side?

We just have to worry about Rene.

_But why_ is _it that this keeps happening so much-_

I didn’t like the way my, uh, Ally here...

Was grinning.

The whole time.

“Thank you...thank you....”

“-Oh, smells like tea”.

“Yes, I was in the middle of drinking some when I heard that you had...arrived”.

_This is nothing like the Bunker._

I’m somewhat nervous, but it’s so...

Cozy.

I rub my hands together-

_Exciting. A new adventure-!_

“Now...”

We are ushered into a Study-

“I know you’re Alex”.

“Nice to meet you, Sir. . .”

_....What was his name-_

“McCoy. James, McCoy”.

“Sir McCoy”.

“. . .You can just call me James”.

“Okay”.

Smile and nod, just smile and nod-

“And you?”

_Fffuuuuudge._

“I’m the Bodyguard”.

-He says it with a completely-straight face.

“Oh...I see”.

Poor James looks like he wishes he’d went to bed earlier-

“Yup”.

-I am _not_ helping.

“Any particular reason-“

“He’s supposed to be dead”, my ‘Bodyguard’ deadpans.

“Pardon-“

“I got rescued from a death challenge”.

_Basically. . ._

“If the CG found out, there’d probably be trouble”.

“-That there would be”.

-I wonder what he thinks of that.

I’m almost scared to wonder what my _friends_ would think-

_I came back and then I disappeared._

Liza’s death is as fresh in my mind as the night it happened.

Why did I suggest this again-

Oh yeah.

_They’d be willing to share information with someone they know, right?_

-Did I really say it like that?

_Wow,_ am I cringe.

-Oh well.

_. . . . If you’re not smiling, you’re doing it wrong-_

“-Can I have some tea?”

“Do you like it served strong?”  
“Er...”

_Do I?_

“Sure...I’m down for that-“

I sit in the big chair.

“Excellent”.

-Wow, he’s even got a teapot.

“Would you like a cup, yourself?”

“No”.

-A man of few words.

I smile nervously.

“Thank you-“

-It stings going down.

“...What flavor is this?”

_.....So I need to brush up on my tea-drinking habits, apparently-_

“You wouldn’t happen to have a lab here, would you?”

-Our timing is bad...

His eyes switch from me to him-

“It’s an herbal...”

“Oh”.

_Don’t cough-_

“. . .As for the lab, why do you want to know?”

“Self-defense”.

_He’s gonna **poison** Enoshima-_

I can see that ending _real_ bad-

“...We don’t normally let Non-Operatives inside-“

“I know what I’m doing”.

I take another sip even though it _is_ too strong.

“...Nice tea isn’t it?”

_I did my homework by now, he’s not lying._

He’s also _not_ someone you want running around in a State-of-the-Art Laboratory on his own....

“Yes-it helps when I have insomnia”.

Once again with the suspicious looks....

_Don’t laugh nervously-_

“Nothing’s happening in your universe”, is the reply, “-Well until now”.

“You’d be right”, he ping-pongs, “except for the world-wide freeze...”

“Freeze?”

_What’s that-_

“You haven’t heard?”

“No-“

He rubs his temples.

“Anyone not involved with the Land of Fiction has either remained sane through obliviousness, or has temporarily suspended all contact...two years with a threat of this scale?

It’s a miracle they didn’t learn earlier....”

“So what’s the problem?”

My covert-scientist-partner-until-further-notice sounds apathetic-

“You can only get from one universe to another now with the creator’s express permission...and we haven’t heard from Delta...ours, in months”.

“Now _that’s_ meta”.

-He gives him a side-glance.

“...You can see why _not_ knowing would be a problem. . .and then you two appear saying she’s been kidnapped, and that something’s happened to Dawn and Benny-“

“........”

My face is starting to hurt from all the smiling.

“You know now”.

-As usual, ‘Mr. Bodyguard’ is _not_ concerned.

And that reminds me, we need a Code Name-

“Yes-“

He finishes his own cup, before wearily standing up.

“...But how did _you_ get in, I am positive I have never seen you around until this moment-“

He’s talking to the Creepypasta.

“-At this point, she’ll want _anyone_ to save her”.

“-Or come close”, I correct.

-I’m glared at.

_. . .Well...for all you know, she’d react like Mystic-_

“. . . .I see”.

Heading for the door, he asks:

“I will make sure the Elders are informed-“

“We’d prefer to keep affairs as quiet as possible”.

_.....Tension......._

I drink more tea-

“Pardon?”

“The more involved, the more chances for Despair...”

They lock eyes.

I drink more tea.

“....How do you know that?”

“-Does _no one_ use Duck Duck Go these days!?”

_I’m-_

“What”.

_“Look her up._ She’s a _character_ , isn’t she!? Go through your files, this is more serious than you think”.

_That went from 0 to 100 **real** fast-_

James frowned.

“Excuse you, you are a _Guest-“_

“-He’s not from these parts-“

I stand up quick-

_Cover, cover-!!_

Can’t have him finding out he’s some kind of...like Candy Pop but different-

“He has _bad_ experience with um, authority-“

“Is that so?”

“Yup!”

_My face **really** hurts-_

“I don’t know if... _other help_ is gonna get here in time, soooo-“

“...Hmm”.

“-And I need him, so I don’t die...because I failed at being a Pirate-“

_....I should probably stop now._

“....I will arrange rooms-“

“No time”.

-Now he’s taking over.

“We only have a matter of hours, just paying attention to her Track Record alone”.

“. . . . . . . .”

I am grinning to the best of my ability-

“Please? If we lose her, it’s going to be _extremely_ difficult to revert her back to the way she was-“

“If we don’t come for her, no one _will”._

_...Wait-_

What does that mean!?

“....You’re both certain of that?”

“Enoshima Junko is infamous. Yes, we’re certain”.

“....”

....I’m beginning to understand _why_ he got trapped out for a year.

“You can at least trust me, right?” I add-

_Please say yes-_

“...Follow me”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're doing our best out here-


	8. Carved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Knives, implied stabbing, blood. Implied death threat.

_“-You sure you want it?”_

_I don’t know how much time I have left..._

_“Last chance to turn back-“_

_“No”._

_I won’t._

_I’m not going to spend any longer trying to justify why or why not._

_“. . .”_

_He pushes a blade across the space between us with a finger._

_“...”_

_There’s nothing left to say._

_At least she won’t wake up at all during the process._

_I made sure of it._

_I wait for my fingers to stop shaking._

_I feel for her slowed heartbeat..._

_“I’m sorry...” I whisper._

I wish it didn’t have to come to this.

_“I love you. . .”_

_I bring down the knife._

_My hand is covered in blood._

_-It’ll hit me later, the full extent to which I have definitely fallen._

_“-We’re gonna need a sponge”, Michael helpfully says._

_I actually go and get one-_

_“-Oh, we’re really cleaning, okay”._

_The body disappeared as soon as. ..._

_He took all the knives._

_....I could’ve stopped him, but I had a feeling, so I didn’t._

_Then we set out for Candy Pop-_

_I wince as I hear the marker un-cap._

_“What did you do with the wish?” I ask._

_“Stuffed it in his pocket”._

_Purple Boy fiddles with the pink ink._

_I think he’s coloring his nails...._

_“...That’s a good place for it”._

_“Yeah it is”._

So it’s all taken care of now, isn’t it?

The only action remaining to take-

_I open a portal._

I have to get Michael out of here before he’s the next one to be attacked.

_He mostly just has burn marks._

_He’s_ lucky-

_“-Left a P.S. on that note, by the way”._

_“Did you?”_

_I_ thought _I heard something while I was erasing every trace-_

_“Yup. About the Church exit”._

_“. . . That’s surprisingly good of you”._

_His smile falls._

_“Don’t turn it into what it’s not, I just wanted to see it mess with the Tentacled Squidward’s head”._

_“...Right”._

_I stick my neck through the threshold._

_“...How partial are you to Dream Travel?”_

_“...I can_ try-“

_I intake a breath I can’t keep._

_“Alright. . . .”_

_I usher him out ahead of me._

_He clings to my arm like a frightened child-_

_I step into the colorful abyss._

_And close the portal behind me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep hallucinating spiders everywhere, help-


	9. Aug. 22nd, 2020, Sat.: Light Tracker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the Present, a Rescue Plan materializes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Referenced shooting, surveillance, threat of death, non-consent. Mentioned burning. The doctor's.

They have computer banks.

Of course they do.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t involve anyone else”.

. . .This man is going to get _annoying_ rather quickly.

“No”.

“...Probably not a good idea”, Alex grimaces.

“...Very well”.

He hits keys.

-I am surprised they do not fly out and hit his _face._

Images flicker:

A woman with short hair, and a man with concentrated oil.

Black-and-white filtering.

Their houses are dark.

I memorize them, because we will be seeing them again.

“You have cameras?”

“In case the Evil returns for Round 5”.

“-It already did”, I say.

“. . .Yes, well...”

He hits more buttons.

_One day, the machine will type all over **you.**_

****

Words and logs.

Times, dates, speeding by.

“They left one morning and never came back”.

“-Then they have been taken”.

No question about it.

“But how do we see where they went?”

Alex leans over the board-

“Do be careful as to what you touch-“

“I will-“

“They’ll have used a portal most likely...that’s how we got here”.

“....”

Mr. McCoy, starts at that.

“You don’t have magic-?”

“We have some”.

Bible pages tucked away, and wand sparkles on the other-

Watching Candy Pop be burned was helpful.

“...Where did you get it?”

“Not from the Cursed God”, Alex coughs.

“Yes, don’t worry about it”.

He gives us an odd look.

“Well...then, I suppose we had best use that magic to locate them”.

“Ours?”

Now it’s my turn.

“If I used mine, and she _is_ an ally of him, so to speak, it would be an unfortunate giveaway”.

“Ah. . .”

I look to Alex.

He looks back at me, uncertain.

We took enough to make it here _and_ back.

We may or may not have any left to spare-

“. . .Any other methods?”

_-Not to mention if that sister starts_ shooting.

 _We’ll need_ everything _for defense._

“Let me think-“

James purses his lips.

“What about that light?”

The both of them start-

“What”.

I don’t see why it’s so shocking.

“Dawn has one, what if we tracked that?”

  
His features only get tighter.

“You _do_ realize you are speaking of the power of God?”

“God won’t have his Ace for very long”, I remark, and he scowls, offended.

“This is an out-of-the-box circumstance”, I continue, “If you don’t keep up, you won’t survive”.

_-I could list off name after name-_

_-My, it’s getting onto both hands, now._

“-I can vouch for that”, Alex adds.

“But we have no time”.

I walk further in.

“Wait a minute Sir-You don’t have the Clearance-“

“You’re with us, aren’t you?”

Alex shrugs.

. . .The man picks up his pace.

“Even so-“

“Do you trust us, or not”.

He turns into a clam.

“Anything? Anything at all we can do-“

An ally for now, he too runs along-

_If we keep him alive the whole Alternate Universe, we could massively break the Land of Fiction as we know it._

The thought is tempting...

_The Cursed God could never have weight ever again in thousands of years to come._

“We have experimental technology, yet nothing too concrete-“

James sighs exasperatedly.

“We’ve been trying to study his magic for decades”.

“What’s your best effort?”

_I could probably fix it-_

He gives me a strange aside, and then strides on ahead.

“Our Replica-“

I want to _scoff._

No, I _do_ scoff.

Years of death behind them, I _knew_ their creativity would be sorely lacking:

The three Artifacts, surrounding a shattered and dull Crown with Nine gems, and a Faded-Blue crystal littering the pedestal.

“90% Society magic, 10% remnants.....”

I tap it, and it sparks.

“Why”.

“In case we ever needed to return to Purgatory for _any_ reason at all”.

-Alex whistles.

“-We could engineer this to reach Dawn and Benny”, I say.

“How-“

_-I’ll yell at him later._

“Surely, you have a ‘Light’ sample”.

“. . .”

“Well? Do you?”

“...Do you?”Alex echoes, unnerved by his silence-

“We _do”._

I grin.

_I **knew** it-_

“What?”

The boy laughs nervously, thinking he didn’t hear right.

“Isn’t that, like-?”

“After Season 2”, he admits, looking regretful, “She was dying from the Sorceress’ toxin. In the event her condition went for the worse, we wanted to be prepared-“

“For a replacement, how nice of you”.

He _ahems._

“-There _are_ other descendants”.

“Mhmm...”

“We were _hoping_ we could induce a full recovery with it, if necessary”.

“And if it failed?”

He swallows.

“...We would have used it as proof for the next Lightbearer”.

Alex’s smile is fake.

But why is he surprised?

That’s how this world _is._

“Where is it”.

-He swipes his hand across his eyes tiredly.

“I will have it sent in...”

“Thank you”, the boy nods.

I clump together the pieces of gemstone so they touch.

_-_

I must confess...

I am beginning to feel a headache coming on.

“Dr. Green-“

She steps out, no doubt wondering what _I’m_ doing up at the early hour.

“James?”  
“I need the Lightbearer sample...if you would please”.

“That?”

Her green eyes flicker with concern.

“Has something happened to Dawn?”

“Perhaps”.

I worry about leaving the two of them alone in there.

_-Alex, I have...no qualms._

_The other man, however..._

“I’m working on it”.

“I see...”

She disappears for a few minutes, no doubt inputting the numerous security codes-

She returns, the crystalline tube in her hand sparkling.

I warily accept it-

“Here’s hoping we have some good luck”.

-I knock on a wooden post as I leave-

“-James?”

“Yes Doctor?”

“Be in at noon tomorrow. We must have a chat about your nightly routine”.

I groan internally.

“Ask me again in the morning”.

_-_

-I think James is more tired now than when we first met him.

“-How’d it go?”

“I’ve got it...”

He holds up a literal diamond.

“Excellent”.

My partner moves to the side-

“Pour it on”.

.....With a wary glare, James pops the cork.

White light spills and glows-

I see my ally give a wince.

_Yeah, that’s gonna be no picnic-_

He digs out the dust-some of it.

-A memory of the Sugarplum Fairy’s last moments flickers in front of my eyes.

As soon as the pink substance flows into the artifacts and crown, the light makes the crystal gleam.

I gulp-

The resulting explosion blows us all back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just hang in there-


	10. Dawn And Benny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much for pawns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Death threat, burns, torture. Blinding.

-I _cannot_ see.

“M-“

He catches himself in time.

“Mr. Bodyguard??”

“I’m...right here-“

I grab at his arm, and he jumps.

“James?”

“-I’m alright”.

Something or someone, helps me up.

I blink out the _searing_ spots.

“Oh no...!”

“What? What is it-“

We’re moving...

The air changes, becoming danker.

And hotter.

The smell of...frying.

“Dawn and Benny”.

“Wh...who are you-“

Ah, I _was_ right.

“Are you Junko’s lackeys too?”

“No”.

“We’re... _trying_ to save you?”

“C...Camera-“

“-Oh. Okay....”

I hear a shrugging.

Fabric rustling-

“-There?”

“Maybe...”

Benny is the sound of anger barely restrained.

“Can you unlock us from these cells?”

“Coming up...”

I will my chains to wind around...whatever is holding them in, and _pull._

Pain ripples through me, but I ignore it-

They rattle in the air, but go no further.

_-The flash._

_It must’ve been Holy-_

“-Alex. Any keys?”

“Yeah. They’re in plain sight-“

“It’s a death trap”.

“-Wait, really?”

_“This is Enoshima”._

“Okay, okay-“

I lean against cold iron while he wanders away...

_How did he survive so long?_

He’s singed...

Meanwhile, I’m just fine.

I hope our cover isn’t as shredded as it seems-

I walk over to the key, hanging innocently on a hook.

I slip it into my hand-

“Step back!!”

I do-

A scythe comes from the wall, almost splitting me in half!!

“Whoa!!”

“-...Likely it won’t end with that”.

“Thanks for the heads-up...”

I stagger to the first cell:

Dawn’s.

I wiggle the teeth in the lock, but it won’t open-

“Try...try Benny’s....!!”

A white light fluctuates inside of her.

She moans...

“Hang in there”.

I walk on to the second cell.

“Take Two?”

Benny sighs.

“Does it work?”

I try it out.

**_Click-!_ **

I yank the door open, and rush in.

His shackles have no place for a key to enter.

“-Uh. Mr. Bodyguard?”

“Yes?”

“...Can you pry these off?”

“Where is he?”

_.....I was afraid of that._

“...I can’t do it”.

“What?”

“That Light-“

“Crap...”

I reach into my pockets for some dust.

“How’s this?”

I waft some over Benny’s restraints.

They turn to taffy.

He twists and turns, and manages to rip himself loose-

“Thanks”.

“No problem”.

“...”

My Bodyguard is checking his own dust.

I have to do that, too....

He rushes to Dawn’s cell.

“We’re going to free you, I promise”.

“I...know....help....c...can’t.....h-hold-“

My ally tries to pry the door off a second time.

It zaps him.

“OW-why does everything have to be _so_ electrified-!??”

I have no idea what he’s talking about, but-

“...How much magic do you have left?”

“How much magic...do you have....left-“

I scoop up a handful.

“Some?”

I smooth it over the hinges.

They soften into gum.

Benny barrels through-

“Dawn!!!”

I clench my fist.

_I have one handful left..._

“Benny. . . “

She does _not_ sound good...

“Dawn.....”

He’s near tears.

.......Clacking.

My heart thumps, thinking it’s Ultimate Despair-

But nope, it’s just him...

He blows a handful into her face.

She _coughs-_

Her chains go slack.

“You’d better join her”.

He points at our swirling portal-

“What about you two?”

“We still have someone to bring back-“

“Yeah”, I agree, “We can’t leave Delta here”.

“...”

That guy looks like he has a boatload of questions....

“-Okay”.

He nods, and runs through the hole we made, dropping to his knees.

_Thank God Dawn made it...._

“You men want me to leave things open?”

“No-“

“Yeah.....”

I shake my head.

“Can’t risk it”.

He scans us both with an expression unreadable.

His hands swat at what I’m gonna assume is the crown-

Another white flash.

.

.

.

Mr. Bodyguard shudders...

"....Okay....so.........."

_Where's the door-_

"You tell me".

"-That way?"

I tug on the metal.

"...."

_My last handful..._

The hinges melt into molasses.

". . . .You have any magic left?"

"I have-"

He feels around.

"At _least_ two handfuls?"

"One for Delta, and then one for us..."

"Yes".

His mouth is a thin line...

"-'Kay".

I crack my neck and fingers already prepared for a mission that won't be easy.

"Let's do this. . ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, they're coming...


	11. Alice In Prison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Bird World, things aren't going so well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Kidnapping, needles, brainwashing, being stuck, language. Condescending.

Unfortunately, I lost track of her after dinner...

We looked forever-

“....to Celeste’s room-“

“...this way....”

Shadowy people in every corner.

“Okay-I’ll get the key. Is that alright with you?”

“-Alice, be careful-“

“I will”.

I hide behind a column.

_Emmy must have it._

Right there at her waist-

_If I can get it-_

I trail her for some time.

She doesn’t have a clue. . .

I reach-

“Caught you”.

*

-A bunch of robed shapes grab me.

“No-wait-!!”

I fight, and kick, and punch, or try to-

“...Coddling Therapy for this one”.

_Eh?_

“Too much fighting...”

She shakes her head with a sigh.

“Too little listening”.

“What!?”

_What the heck is-_

I briefly catch a glimpse of Ivy-

A prick.

**

My breathing is heavy.

My eyes shoot open, finding a bunch of pink.

It’s overwhelming how much _pink_ there is.

And a cutesy, yet creepy, music box is playing on my right.

Then I hear someone cursing on my left.

And a familiar voice begins to speak:

_"Oh come now! Don't fuss so, dearie._

_This is exactly why you are here._

_You are far too rowdy and foul-mouthed._

_But fear not. This shall change all of that."_

_"The f*k are you doing! Get that bear away from me!"_

_"Shhh.....Shhh.....just let it happen, dearie._

_It'll hug_ **_all_** _of that nastiness right out of you._

_Then you'll be able to care for the dolls and have tea parties."_

_"No! F* you! Let me go!"_

Aoibhe.....

I try to move, but I find myself restrained.

My eyes dart to both sides.

Giant, pink, fluffy

Pillows.

They’re keeping me in a hold.

Footsteps.

Emmy appears in my field of vision.

"Glad to see you're awake, dearie."

_Can't say the same about you._

She presses a button.

One pillow lifts up.

A _claw_ lifts me up for about ten seconds.

I’m set back down onto a pillow of fluff.

_"I love you!"_

A teddy bear?

The arms and legs wrap around me like a koala around a eucalyptus.

I can’t get out.

"What...

What's going on?!"

"You're having a therapy session."

What?!

"You were far too rowdy, so we must rehabilitate you,

make you sweet."

There’s a scent coming from the bear.

My mind is growing fuzzy.

Difficult to think.

I don't even have a chance to struggle.

Emmy smiles.

"You see?

You're already responding so well.

At this rate, you'll be out _much_ sooner than your friend”.

_Plant Boi..._

_Purple Boi...._

_The Dream World...._

_Fading away?!?!_

_No!_

_I can't...._

_let that...._

_....._

_No....._

I fight.

"Dearie, no..." Emmy soothes.

_Why...._

Her tone is...

working?!

"Just let this happen.

Forget all of that nastiness.

All of that violence.

All of the pain, the worry, the anger.

Just let it all slip away from your mind”.

No.

I can't lose Plant Boi!

I can't lose Purple Boy!

I.....

_What were their first names?_

No...

I....

I’m forgetting. 

I can't see....

the dream world is gone.

I want to cry out for someone to help,

_Someone,_

_anyone,_

_please!_

But....

The scent fogs up my mind further. 

_Gotta....hold....on....._

My memories....

Going.

Being replaced.

_No! Stop this!_

I don't---

"No more nastiness and violence".

_No more nastiness and violence._

"No more nastiness and violence".

_No more nastiness and violence._

"No more nastiness and violence".

_No more nastiness and-----_

_........._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 of why Breakdown in Blue happened.


	12. Aug. 23rd, 2020, Sun.: another world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the future, our other duo appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Death threat. Stalking, abandonment worries.

_It’s fruitless to trace for a Dream Trail-_

_There isn’t any._

_Not even a tainted one._

_Not even some stupid musical tune. . ._

_What I did..._

**_Really_ ** _worked._

_....The time she mentioned that Pink Space comes to mind._

_She’d lost her memories then, as well..._

_Only_ those _could be restored._

_......The more seconds go by, the more I regret it._

_But I can’t change it. . . ._

_And if I tried, something unpleasant would be sure to happen._

_....Can I call myself different from **them** now, though?_

_-I hear Michael give an_ epic _sneeze._

_“What was that?”_

_“-I think someone’s_ plotting _about me”._

_I wouldn’t be surprised if they were._

_“-Don’t die yet”._

_“Not planning on it”._

So confident...

_Well..._

_Even if something_ does _go wrong..._

_It’ll fall on us._

_Me._

_All Michael did was show up and try to help with this ‘Other AU’ business._

_If I can spare him-_

_“-If you want to live then, you’d better stay close._

_Just because they’ve got no jurisdiction out here doesn’t mean they’ll take ‘no’ for an answer”._

_“That’s_ mildly _disturbing...”_

_“I’ll hold her off...that dark cloud”._

_“What’s so wrong about my existence, anyway?”_

_He puffs air out his cheeks as I touch ground._

_I have no idea where we are._

_I only know it’s as far removed from the Story zone as much as possible._

_“You have breaking potential”._

_“What does_ that _mean?”_

_“...Either Written-wise, or your pride, take your pick”._

_He frowns even more._

_“I’d like to_ keep _my pride, thanks”._

_In his own way, he’s also innocent._

_...Ha._

_What a **sickening** thought._

_“. . .”_

_Do I **want** to shatter his reality?_

_“What’s that look?”_

_“......I just wouldn’t get too cocky”._

_“I’m not-“_

_He walks alongside me, a change from the usual flotation._

_“I’m just saying”._

_At least he’s not walking off-balance anymore._

_-How long was he dead?_

_He swishes some hair over his shoulder._

_“Where are we at again?”_

_“I don’t know”._

_Peace mixes with dread._

_Is that good or bad-_

_The sky is purple-_

_So are all the trees._

We fit right in here.

_“Any plans?”_

_“.....”_

I don’t know.

_I don’t even know where to start._

_“....What if we didn’t try to find her until it was all over?”_

_“That’d be too late-“_

_I shift-_

_“.....If she can be happy. . . .maybe-“_

_“You’re gonna sit on your feelings forever?”_

_He raises an eyebrow at me-_

_“.....I don’t-_ intend _to....but.......”_

_I sigh._

_“Let’s just keep walking”._

_“. . .”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the purpleverse.


	13. Aug. 24th, 2020, Mon.: Tainted Brain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirigiri-san takes matters into her own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Mind manipulation mention.

I cover my nose.

The scent came in some time ago.

Sal’s eyebrow twitches in his sleep.

The portraits are fuzzing...

I’m not sure what’s going on, but Alice is fogging up.

I pull my sleeve over my glove, and wipe some of the stuff clear.

I keep my mouth tightly closed.

It bubbles back in place.

_Okay._

The guy who _would_ know what this foam is left with Alex on a rescue mission.

The _other_ guy is with Naegi-san, making sure nothing weird happens with the Clone.

_So it’s up to me._

I look around for anything I can use.

Just the Token pedestals.

Delta’s frame, leaning against the wall.

We tried to hang it back up, but once it was off...it was off.

Not even wand magic could make it stick.

_She must want out._

_She must want out, badly._

It’s a good conclusion, but it won’t help here.

If the bubbling can’t be swiped away, it needs to be contained.

Worst case, it overflows, and floods the place.

I grip the frame of Alice’s picture.

_All he had to do was yank._

-

Two empty spaces.

The one I just made isn’t leaking, it’s just _her._

I pull my coat over my arms, and wrap the portrait before it can dribble pink-gold froth into the floor-cracks.

_That’s done._

I walk to Sal, and crouch.

Lift him onto my back-

_Wouldn’t be safe to leave him alone._

When I’m certain he’s settled and won’t fall down as soon as I move, I scoop the ‘package’ into my arms.

_If I’m remembering the direction they came from correctly..._

The chains left scratch marks.

_Help is...that way._

-

“-Kirigiri-san?”

“We have another crisis”.

“We what-“

“Someone’s trying to brainwash her”.

He blinks.

Then he growls.

“Really!?”

“I would say so”.

I hand him the bundle.

“I took her portrait”.

“-Right off the wall”.

“Yeah...apparently you can do that”.

...He unwraps.

“What the h-“

“Can your magic stop it?”

He looks at what he stole from the Sugarplum Fairy.

“...Let’s find out”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kirigiri-san low-key saving the day-


	14. The Presence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It comes back-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Paralysis, guilt, mind tripping.

Something...smells weird.

Like...perfume, but stronger.

My eyebrow twitches.

It feels like no time has passed-

I know that’s wrong.

My mind’s starting to twist.

-How did I end up like this again?

-Oh yeah, that crystal...

I can’t forget what else I found out.

Wake up-

_Wake up-_

I reach for something.

Anything-

I have to squint to see in the dark.

An...outline?

I can’t tell who it is.

I try to run.

Get closer-

...

Every step is _exhausting._

“Hey!

Can you hear me?”

The minutes go on forever.

I **_hate_** this....

And two more still have...to....

I grit my teeth and wipe my eyes-

What else can I do?

If I _don’t_ choose, the souls of everyone here will be forfeit, including mine.

_If we ever get this over with, I **have** to get her out of here._

-Pressing at the back of my skull.

I’ve felt that before.

When we met Makoto-

I turn.

No one.

But...

_It was stronger?_

An echo sits in my ears.

I can’t recall any of the words.

_Who’s doing that?_

It _has_ to be someone, I know it.

I’m not imagining it.

“Envy?”

Candy Pop gives me another strange look.

One of several, it seems like.

Lately-

“I’m fine”.

I attempt to analyze the afterimage.

I still just don’t know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little while longer...


	15. Dealing With Checkmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dawn and Benny are safe. But it's not over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Threat of death, self-deprecation, low self-worth. Implied neglect. Playing with emotions. Eye trauma.

The Light explodes.

There wasn’t a way around that one...

My eyesight is still paying the price.

I don’t know how long it will be until I _can_ see again.

“I don’t hear anything”.

“There’s no one”.

Alex confirms for me, what I already suspect:

They weren’t expecting anyone to come for them.

Either that, or their Soldier Girl is their Absolute Line of Defense.

She isn’t an Ultimate for nothing...

And they don’t really want to waste precious time on those who aren’t of their interest.

Like us, for instance.

The camera, depending on how much footage it was able to capture before being covered up may have alerted them to our existence.

But, because of how Enoshima’s brain works, she’ll have talked them into waiting for us to enter wherever Delta is being kept-and _then_ they’ll strike.

It always pays to find out a person’s character.

Assuming all of the above is true is dangerous, as well as a popular saying, but it’s-what we’ve been running off of for the past twenty minutes, we _could_ make a counter-attack if we wanted to.

We still have some magic.

Two handfuls-

At worst, we _should_ be able to hit her like dodgeball, then leave ourselves.

At worst.

If _not_ at worst, we should be able to take the Soldier Girl with us as well.

Without her, the blonde is just talk.

_. . . It must be tiring to be MatPat._

-I found out planning _works_ however, imagine that!

It stopped that other AU from turning into a nightmare 2.0-

“-Someone’s coming”.

I step back, my heel hits wall.

The Bible pages I took from there only take the edge from the scalding a little.

_-Did they switch things up?_

Let’s wait and...discover it.

“Huh...”

-Okay, so we’re not in immediate threat of death, good to predict.

“-Wait-“

_Hm?_

“Alex!?”

“Delta-“

_...??_

_And ?? for good measure._

“W-who is that!? More of Junko’s friends!??

Are you even real?

Where are Dawn and Benny!!”

“We’re not hers-I _promise_ we’re not hers-“

“Then who’s that?”

“-Hello there”.

I wave.

“He’s helping. We saved them, they’re fine”.

“....It’s only just you?”

-She sounds _very_ disappointed.

“They’re scrambling”.

“Are they?”

_Ooh, she does **not** believe that._

“I’m _useless_ to them. They never notice me unless I’m in the way”.

“Nice to know they haven’t changed at all”, I chime in.

_Once a satellite-_

“We don’t think that”, he reassures her, “We never did...we’re so sorry-“

“Yes, and _you_ may be, but I would like to hear from you, Delta what _you_ would like to do”.

I grope some of the remaining dust into my hand.

“We can send you straight to Dawn and Benny themselves.

Or your own home.

Or up in the Mindscape with us, although it _is_ stressful...or......”

I grin slightly.

I have the feeling her reaction to this will be as I thought, as well.

“You could go back to the rest of your ‘friends’”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will you do?


	16. More & More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The candy duo is stuck with a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Death threat, implied overdose.

I got lucky with the dust, okay?

This is gonna be _more_ pain-staking-

“Ugh. . .why does it always smell so...sweet!?”

“I think it’s a running theme”.

_Wow._

At least this time _we’re_ not the ones being pushed around.

“Can you freeze it?”

“I’ll try-“

I wave the darn thing and it sputters. . . .

A handful of sprinkles and frosting coats the floor.

“-You didn’t have a problem with _dust”,_ I scold it-

I duck to avoid being glopped with chocolate.

“Maybe dust is as far as it’s willing to go”.

“No way”.

I saw that orb.

And those powerful blasts-

“I know it can do more than that-“

I point the tip at the vaporing picture.

“All I want is something to make those bubbles quit-!”

Clear bubbles make me sputter.

“Maybe it recognizes Enemy Mine”.

“What-“

“The scent _is_ rather similar-“

“You’re saying it thinks it’s attacking its own magic?”

“Perhaps...”

-If it weren’t for that colossal failure last Spring I’d be using my _own_ strength by now.

But if it’s broken-

I wouldn’t care, yet-

She dies, the Mindscape goes dead.

So much for trying to hang on.

“....”

She’s thinking-

“What if we could convince it that the magic coming from the painting _does_ belong to it?”

“How would we do that?”

“It smells similar...we figured that out”.

“And...?”

“Tell it to create more”.

“What-“

“Because it isn’t the same, but it _believes_ that it is, it will cause a paradox effect”.

She shifts Sal’s position on her back-

“They’ll cancel each other out, and she’ll come back to her senses”.

“....And?”

I’m sensing another, here-

“-She’ll also act like she’s very, very drunk”.

“Oh God”.

(Ouch-!)

“Yeah...”

Sugar Rush.

I aim the dang magical object at ‘Alice’s’ rapidly-dampening face, and tell it to add to the hideously-sweetness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun times ahead.....


	17. Aug. 25th, 2020, Tues.: Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Candy meddling results in:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Intoxicated behavior, memory recall issues, tripping vision, phys. injury. Threat. Yelling.

_No more nastiness and..._

_......._

The phrase peters out...

_Huh?_

I’m still locked in the bear...

My brain. . .hurts. . . . .

_Ow..._

It’s like-

I ate ice cream-

Too fast-!!

_Owowowow...._

I’m not sure how this happened, but...

_Thank goodness._

_OW!!_

I fight to move-

I sway.

_Wh-?_

Legs won’t-

Work right.

?

Hmmm....

_I don’tknow._

I lean my head into the crook of the stuffed toy’s arm, sleeby...

No, I’m _not_ sleeby.

I’m FULL of _ENERGY!!_

NoI’m not.

.....

. . .... . . . .

My brain _hurts._

_Ugh...._

I strain-

My arm scrapes.

_Nnnh..._

Don’t want hug-

Images swirl in my dazed state--

Aoi, sleeping-

Emmy whispering...

_Names...remember-_

Why?

Huh-

_Names._

Who?

I kick at the fuzzy barrier.

_Lemme out!_

“Let me out-“

Oops.

I struggle and struggle, until it falls.

Pinning me to the floor.

_N-no-!!_

I worm, hearing footsteps-

“What kind of Therapy is this!??”

“What in the world-“

I yank, and _yank-_

I yank my arm.

“Ow-“

I slap at her with it.

“What nonsense are you spewing?”

“Get away!!”

Some robed peoples lift the bear back up.

It’s a brownish-furry blob!!

“Let me go!! Let me go-“

_Let me go..._

She sighs.

"You poor dear..."

"LET ME GO".

She just sticks a finger in her ear.

"We'll have to make you sober".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, that was fun-


	18. Aug. 26th, 2020, Weds.: lost in dimension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Way in the future, there is a snag-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Spying, near-miss, non-phys. violence, implied control issues, death threat discussed, suicide discussion.

_It’s quiet._

_Every place we’d been previous full of noise._

_A bit sad I can’t enjoy it._

_It’s_ too _quiet._

_We still need a plan:_

_I don’t take anything for granted anymore._

_This peace won’t last._

_“I never thought I’d_ actually _see a purple world”._

_Michael stopped feeling for low-hanging branches some time ago._

_I’ve made sure to duck under them all._

_“Neither did I-“_

_I swapped over for my true form then, also._

_Just in case. . ._

You can flash back to the past, but the future’s harder to pin down, isn’t it?

_-The odds of ‘unwanted Guests’ are low, I hope..._

_But I’ve learned that if someone wants something to happen enough, they usually get it-_

_I’ve seen it between Good and Evil alike._

_I rub my arm._

_It’s turning cold._

Right...

Summer’s almost over.

_The purple boy shivers and pulls his cloak tighter._

_It’s turning darker..._

Three months left.

_Then we really will have been searching for two years._

_We haven’t found that much, have we?_

_Hardly matters at the moment, besides._

Okay, the signs are there...

So, where’s the attack coming from?

_A tree rustles._

_-Michael throws a knife at it._

_“-I did it without thinking”, he apologizes-_

_-Violent hissing._

_“-Is that a cat-“_

_I was wrong-_

_Red eyes glaring, the angry, violet squirrel bullets off into the forest ahead._

_“...Okay-“ he mouths._

_“.....Maybe it’s just the one”._

_Maybe it is._

_No sounds from that moment up until we finally reached a break._

_Yet..._

Is someone...watching?

_Feels like there are eyes out there..._

_I do my best to shrug it off._

_If it becomes a problem, we’ll deal with it._

_If not..._

_It’s probably nothing._

_“Hello”._

_Michael points-_

_“What’s that?”_

_“It looks like a...”_

_I squint-_

_“Silhouette-“_

_My spine tingles._

_He tenses up-_

_“-It’s not anyone we know”._

_“-Oh”._

For a minute there, I could’ve sworn...

_I shake my head._

They couldn’t have been.

_The eyes lessen, and I wonder if I’m being too paranoid._

_..._

_What if I’m not being paranoid_ enough-

_“Well, well”._

_“-What?”_

_I snap back to reality-_

_“They one of your relatives?”_

_A giant tree, green-tinted, and very, very old._

_“No”._

_“-Hmm. Oh well”._

_A few more plants grow around it._

_They’re distinctly lacking in violet._

_“I don’t think these are like the rest-“_

_“What gave it away?”_

_I give him a_ look _, which he conveniently misses..._

_“One squirrel and four trees. How interesting-“_

_“As far as we know”, I remind him-_

_The eyes are back._

_My stomach drops into my toes._

_“Who’s there?”_

_-I spin and jump._

_The squirrel spits at us from someone’s shoulder._

_“...Hi old friend. . .”_

_Michael smile-winces._

_“-Nice to see you again-“_

_They’re not in purple but they’ve got an air of Authority around them that says the woods we’re in is_ theirs.

_“What are you doing?”_

_“Passing through”._

_I don’t recognize them._

_“Throwing knives at the squirrels”._

_“...Not intentionally-“_

_He pokes his index fingers together-_

_Their black irises switch to me._

_Chills down my spine-like before._

_“....That’s it. . .I see....”_

_They’re barely audible._

_“...”_

_I don’t know what’s going on._

_I don’t think I want to know._

_“-We’ll be leaving now”._

_“Have fun with trees!”_

Michael...

_“You fear a lack of control”._

_I stop **cold.**_

****

What did they say-

_“You coming?” he asks ahead of me._

_“...”_

Did I hear that right-

_-I_ should _ignore it._

_But a part of me is on alert-_

_“Did you...speak?”_

_“.....You’ve done a lot of bad things, haven’t you?”_

_“.......”_

_I’m getting creeped out._

_“Hold-up?”_

_Purple boy comes walking back-_

_“....No...”_

_I try to tell him quietly:’We need a shadow’._

_“Hmm?”_

_“I’m sensing danger-“_

_“From...you?”_

_They got closer._

_A flash hits me-_

_< 3_

_....And he’s gone._

_“Um, pardon me-“_

-Oh crap, he really disappeared-

_“What was that?”_

_There's_ the wrench in everything-

_“Where did he go-“_

_“I gave him what he deserved”._

_Silent but deadly._

_Okay, okay-_

_“...But how did you know-“_

_“I can read the minds of plants”._

-Spanner.

Um-

_“...Why did you-“_

_“I don’t want your mess coming over here”._

-Ouch.

_But I understand...._

_I cough._

_“Er, where did you put him, though-“_

_“You’re interested?”_

_Uh-oh._

_“Don’t you have...other things to be worrying about?”_

_The squirrel is_ glowering _at me-_

_“Like what?”_

_Just play it off--_

_“Chip claims you have the look of prey”._

....You traitor.

-I did almost kill them, though-

_“...What does it matter?”_

_Time to split-_

_“Maybe you may want to worry about yourself, first”._

_Flicker of metal at my head-_

_I reach into the air and catch the knife._

_“Thanks”._

_“. . . .”_

_...._ Definitely _time to split-_

_“....Word of advice”._

_“What-“_

_My heart rate_ speeds-

_“If it’s imminent, you could always...die, than be killed"._

_...._

_-The implications smack me upside the skull minus the brick._

_“No!!”_

_I stumble into my own exit-_

_“N-no, I_ couldn’t _do that-!!”_

_I gulp air-_

_“....At least you’d be seen as a graceful loser”._

What a horrifying thought.

_“-Ow-!”_

_-I accidentally pricked myself, darn it..._

_“What about the broken hearts-“_

_What little there would be-_

_“It’s only advice...”_

_I can’t_ read _those eyes-_

_“You don’t_ have _to take it”._

_“What did you do with the plant guy!?”_

_“...”_

_They stare into my soul._

_“Leave soon”._

_The squirrel snarls at me-_

_The hairs on my neck stand on end._

_Eyes._

_In the trees, on me..._

_“....Enjoy your peace”._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to put a 'Chip and Dale' joke in here, but it didn't fit.


	19. in circles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sadistic dilemma presents itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Knives, death threat, suicidal ideation, and panic. Minor self-dep.

_My hands are shaking._

_I almost drop the knife, stab myself in the foot-_

_I can’t breathe, and my stomach hurts._

_I do NOT want to die._

_I don’t want to..._

. . . .Take my life, _no way!!_

_No way. . ._

_I know I’m probably_ going _to die..._

_There’s always hope, right?_

_I can escape that._

_I left Death, didn’t I?_

_I can survive this._

_Why would anyone go to so much trouble anyway!?_

_I haven’t done anything for once-_

_Why would somebody waste the effort to go looking for me for that?_

_Out here?_

_It doesn’t make sense-_

_I sit down before my legs give._

_I should be doing something-_

_Finding wherever Alice is, or he is, or_ something.

_-At least it’s a shadow, and not somewhere in the open._

_-Ha, I’m not safe-_

_I don’t even remember how I got caught last time..._

_Calm the heck down, how am I supposed to do that!!?_

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

_I wipe my eyes, stop blurring-_

_I_ need _a plan-_

_-Headache._

_Think._

Think-

_There must be a better option-_

_It isn’t as if I have nothing to...end it with._

_I guess. . .last resort, but I’m_ hoping _that it won’t be so-_

_If I do it now, I’ll probably spare myself a lot of pain, but I don’t_ want to do it.

_All I know is what I’ve heard-_

_Is it true?_

_I don’t know if it’s true-_

_...My lungs are burning._

_-Apparently that’s a thing._

_I should-I should be_ doing _something-_

_I mean, what am I looking for?_

_-Dark cloud._

_Leagues more powerful than me, if what I_ overheard _is true._

_-Okay stop thinking now-_

_I didn’t mean to give myself a heart attack._

_..._

_Well what do I_ do!?

I won't let it end like that-

Does it even matter what I think-

_Okay quiet, quiet-_

_I sit and stare at nothing._

_It's quiet._

_-I have no wood to knock on._

_Just be quiet._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This poor boy needs a hug.


	20. nature Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where's the Plant Man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Slight body horror. Panicking. Injury. Phys. violence mention. Flash-backing.

. . .. . Where am I?

_...I can’t move...well...._

_Brightness burns my vision._

...How did I get here again?

_I comb my memory, but come up empty-_

-Michael.

_I try to sit up, fear rushing through my veins._

Where is he, is he still alive-!?

_My limbs hitch._

What-

_I blink away the spots-_

What’s this-

_Magic._

_They blasted me-_

_That’s what happened. . . ._

_The numb shock turns to panic._

But...why-

_A familiar place._

_-Well, sort-of..._

_It’s an empty room, with an empty mattress._

_Vines root me to the floor and pin my arms._

_“...”_

_It’s so quiet, you could hear a pin drop._

_...If there were any pins to begin with._

_Michael is nowhere in sight._

Did he get killed!?

_I don’t want to believe it-_

_He doesn’t seem the type to go down easily._

No, he must’ve been left behind-

_I struggle, and feel something prick me._

_“Ow-!?”_

_Thorns._

Oh no.

_Of course it’s back-_

_When does **anything** stay away for good?_

Like this, I might bleed out...

_...I_ don’t _want it, but I’m...scared that’s the best ending there is._

_-I don’t want to accept that, either._

_I attempt to use my own vines._

_They won’t come forth-_

Okay...

_Plan B._

_I try to open a portal._

_......I get nowhere, fast._

...We never did find out their name.

_“Hello?”_

_I call out-_

_“Is anyone there?”_

_I hear nothing._

_“Anyone!??”_

_Still nothing-_

This is bad.

This is **really** bad-

_..........._

_I’m_ **stuck.**

_My heart thumps-_

_I have to-escape-!!_

_I flex, try to ease free._

_..._

_Time passes. . . ._

_-No success._

_I cough slightly._

_The digging’s opened some wounds..._

_. . ._

_I’m not sure if I can mentally contact him, or...._

_......._

_The people we left...behind. . . . ._

_My face aches._

_It’s been a while since I was slapped._

_I don’t particularly want that again, either._

_....I know Mystic has a Mindscape, or something..._

_I’d rather talk to Michael than her, however._

_The guilt’s making me sick..._

_Do I have to explain what I did...?_

_And if I know_ she’s _not going to like it...then neither will_ they-

_Something scrapes into the wall._

_The plaster’s been torn-_

_My emotions are spilling over._

_I think._

_...Maybe I’ll avoid that._

_I close my eyes..._

Michael...you there?

_Not being able to move plus darkness reminds me of_ then-

_I shudder, strain to keep my cool..._

It’s not real, it’s in the past. It was in the past-

-Michael, are you there!?

_Nothing._

_....I can’t tell if it’s not working because he’s in the middle of a situation, or if_ that _power is also disabled._

_. . . ._

_I don’t want to contact_ them _yet..._

_I’ll have to slip these bindings on my own._

_(Keywords being: 'On my own')._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouches, lots of ouches.


	21. Aug. 27th, 2020, Thurs.: an accident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The future duo now split in half, what's a shadow-traveler to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Threat of death. Knives, blood, mention of body horror, throat-related trauma, cuts. Implied ideation/self-harm. Paranoia.

_...Long moments pass with no one and nothing coming in to slit my throat._

_I do calm down-slightly._

_Only slightly-_

_Just because I’m fine now, doesn’t mean they’re not gonna come swinging in later._

_I don’t want to have to worry, what did I even do!?_

_-This time._

_I slide out of the shadow, concealing my knife with the rest, and patting my face juuust to be sure it isn’t as obvious what I’ve been up to for a while._

_My throat’s still closed..._

_Oh well._

_Keep a low profile, maybe I_ will _have an even chance._

_. . .Something tells me that’s wishful thinking._

**_-Cold._ **

_It is_ **cold,** _and I am_ glad _I have a cloak._

_Leaves blow as the wind does._

_Everything is blue._

_Blue-_ tinted-

What world did I hop into?

_I pull my handwarmers taut._

Out of the Line-of-Fire, Out of Sight, Out of Mind.

_Isn’t that how it goes?_

_But I’m_ afraid-

_My eyes tear._

_Hair tickles my nose, and I bite my tongue so I don’t sneeze._

_This is Get-Sick weather._

_I cover my mouth with the cape, and duck into the nearest warm spot:_

_A small, luncheonette-type._

_Bearings, and then information._

_Yeah, that’ll help._

_I slip past the line, and go shelter in the furthest corner, where_ nobody _looks._

_I let the heat soak in, but a part of me is staying chilled no matter what._

_I’m scanning for trouble._

_Cloud-like anything._

_...Which there isn’t._

_Which means there probably will be just because I thought that._

_........._ Okay normally I’d be interested in a mystery-thriller premise, but not now.

_It’d lead me to a self-destructive end._

_Eventually, the crowd starts to filter back home._

_I know it’s called ‘The Blue Oyster’ because of the cheesy sign with the fake mermaid on it._

Looks _unassuming enough. . ._

_Appearances can always be deceiving._

_I wait for the counter to be empty._

Geographical location, coming soon, in your area-

_But this one lady has so much change in her purse, she could buy a trip to Niagra._

_I decide to re-count the sharp ones I swiped._

_In case I almost ever lose one again..._

_1,_

_2,_

_3,_

_4,_

_5,_

_6,_

_7-_

_-The door opens, and something dark wafts out of the corner of my eye._

_-I glance up._

It’s just a coat.

_Doesn’t that figure?_

_I smirk at my own silliness._

_. . ._

_The lady gets her coins together, and jingles outside._

_I stand up-_

_“Excuse me Sir-“_

_“Um-“_

Why are they all staring like that?

_“Do you want me to call someone?”_

_“What?”_

_-Then I feel it._

_My_ arm-

_Has a deep cut running down._

And _bleeding._

_“.....”_

I must have-

_I stare at the stream, not-blinking._

_I should be staunching the flow, here._

_I should be explaining-_

_I keep staring at my uninjured arm, and my non-bloodied knives._

_-Some kind of Fate?_

_I am getting..._ ideas..... _I should **not** be getting._

_-The realization jolts me out of it._

_My knees fold, as if my body is_ actually _awakening to the toll._

_“Sorry...sorry. . .”_

_I wrap my cloak around the wound, how did I_ hit _that vein so exactly-?_

_“Wait a minute-“_

_-Oh dear, they have their cellphones._

_I don’t know what that means, but whatever it is, I’ve got to go-_

_“-It’s been a minute”._

_Thank goodness for the lights._

_I drop into my own shadow-_

_-Or I would have._

_My wrist is caught-!_

_The one that’s fine._

_“Don’t run-“_

Run? _Me?_ -If I’M running you should be worried-

_Is what I_ would _tell them, if I weren’t **spinning---**_

****

_“Don’t-hold on-“_

_I yank, and fall into silence._

_-If I’m suddenly viral, what happens?_

_Am I suddenly as dead?_

_I thud onto some ground._

_I don’t know where I am..._

-That flopped.

_....Yes, it’s my first takeaway._

.....Huh. It pains, now-

_My second takeaway._

_I sit up-_

_Black is creeping into my sight._

Dread is _not_ good for my sanity.

...

_I’m tired, is it me or the blood loss talking?_

_.....I can_ barely _sew to save my life._

_._

_I just had to put it like that, didn’t I._

_I really did._

_I silently kick myself._

New plan-

_The world I’m in is orange._

_It’s warmer, which is nice, but I am blaring violet out here._

Uh...

_I stand. . ._

_Shakily-_

What am I doing?

_I’m in trouble._

_.....Okay, what next?_

My limbs are weak.

Check.

I better have a pulse.

_I press fingers into my neck._

_It thumps-_

_Going sluggish, though. .. ..._

I could die.

_I don’t want to die._

I didn’t mean to-

_I start walking,_

Whoa, _it’s tripping-_

Darn it.

_I wish I could afford to be less paranoid._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Needs more hugs-


	22. Aug. 28th, 2020, Fri.: power in-Continence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Envy struggles to keep the path going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Claustrophobia, nyctophobia, blood, injury. Guilt, avoidant behavior. Neglectful behavior. Brief knife mention.

_...I am_ not _admitting defeat._

 _I_ know _I can get loose-!_

_-_

_I_ know _I can-_

_..._

_........_

_-Okay so this isn’t going as well as I’d hoped..........._

_It_ really _hurts._

.....I don’t have the time to spend-!!

_The s-sun’s going down!_

_I can’t stay t-tied-up here..._

_I-In the d-dark-_

_I shiver._

_Yellow-orange light, making me n-n-nervous-_

How hard does it have to be to **_leave_** _here!??_

_The more I fight, I-_

_I don’t make any progress-!!_

_It just darkens even more-_

_No noise **anywhere,** is anyone out there at all!??_

_The briars eat the wall until it looks like a creeping vine stole its way in._

_I can’t stop it..._

_Thorns prick me, but I can’t stop that, either._

_I’m sick of it-_

_I want- **out!!!**_

_I_ finally _rip myself from the grasp of those vines, I am-_ so _tired-_

_I catch the plaster just before I can crash into the opposite wall._

_The mattress creaks at me-_

_-I am in **a lot of pain.**_

_But it’s fine..._

_I escaped._

_.......If only I could heal._

_That’s one power I_ don’t _have..._

_I have to reel in my breath._

_My lungs are on_ **fire.**

_I must look awful..._

Michael.

Michael, _say_ something-

_...I wait-_

Are you okay?

_I work on the door._

_Locked-_

Can you hear me?

_I claw off the handle, and push the offending piece of wood aside._

_It crunches._

_Cold air wafts through the hallway._

_I shudder-_

Hello?

_I’m becoming more worried by the second._

_I’m still unsure if he’s no longer alive, or if it’s just me._

I’ll stand by a shadow-

_If I can find one._

_Visibility has decreased by a lot._

_My nerves are on edge._

_Though once night_ does _fully arrive, I guess he can travel wherever he wants._

_I haven’t completely lost it yet._

_He has to show up soon..._

_My skin crawls. . ._

_I can see almost nothing._

_No moon._

_I grip my arm until it tears._

_Crumbling-_

_Briars chew through the ceiling._

_I won’t face it._

_I’ll-I’ll just-_

_Find somewhere else._

_I pull another door open._

_Lights flash in my eyes, startling me-!?_

_The entire room behind me collapses, torn apart._

_Broken plants twine around my feet._

_. . . .Ordinary hallway, why did I do that._

_Plastic doors it is_ darker _than black._

_Outside._

_My heart is trying to thump through my ribs._

_I won’t know where I’m going..._

_I gulp, hard._

_Briars climb around me._

_“Stop that-!”_

_They don’t listen-_

_Is that how I got anchored to the spot?_

_-I’ll be hemmed in if I don’t move._

_I back up, but my heel cracks over something-_

_I don’t hit the ground._

_They twine around me, sharp teeth gashing my arm, and my hip._

_“Let-let go of me!!”_

_I yank off-_

_Sticking the landing, doesn’t happen._

Darn it. . .

_I_ don’t _want to have to call them._

_I don’t even know if I can, anyway._

_-I probably can’t._

_But whether I can or not._

_I’m_ not _doing it..._

_It’s too late._

_It’d be a disaster if I changed it now._

_I’m not gambling others’ safety-_

_I bite my lip._

_Slowly sit...._

Where am I.

_Vines and thorns are choking everywhere, and they aren’t healthy._

_A chlorophyll pool is growing under me._

_I have to end this before I’m swallowed._

_My eyes are burning...it’s intensifying._

_It’s symptom of_ that, _it has to be._

_The foliage, also._

_-If I lose it, she’ll find me._

_My sister won’t like_ any _of it-_

_Anything I could say to explain._

_I don’t want her to find me._

_It sounds stupid and childish, but it’s the truth._

_I’ve got-t **o hold it together.**_

_I need to..._

_I don’t **even know what they’re doing** right now._

_.....Maybe they’ll be too busy to realize **things are slightly different.**_

**_It took them_ foreve**r _to pay attention to Delta- **until she was gone.**_

_I’ve made it pretty much **impossible for anyone** to reach here anyhow._

_. ... .. I stand up-_

_It’s closed in, and with **every thought the space I have to use, shrinks.**_

_Eaten alive?_

**_No thanks-_ **

_**I’m not sure I can control them,** and I’m not sure I want to risk an attempt._

_I search for a gap-_

_Some way **to leave the thicket.**_

_-Why is it tightening?_

_I can do it, **I swear-**_

_Shadows pool under my toes._

Huh-what-

_I sink, I guess-_

_“Sounds like a fun garden party up there”._

_I was hoping it would be you._

_“....Tell me about it......”_

_One sleeve is rolled up to his shoulder, bandages showing._

_“Uh...what . . . . .happened-“_

_“Knife accident”._

_Michael shrugs._

_“What happened to you?”_

_“....”_

**_I don’t know what to say._ **

_“-Well I met some people-“_

_“-We can’t get them involved, they_ will _get hurt-“_

_“Relax...”_

_He smiles._

_“They don’t have an iota of an inkling”._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably forgot a warning somewhere.


	23. orange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Michael miraculously recovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Knife mention, stitches, injury. Near-death. Paranoia.

_...What happened?_

_I’m lying on the ground, apparently-_

Did I pass out?

_Ow...yeah, I must have-_

_I sit, looking for some figure signaling that it’s over._

_A different Death, but they mean the same._

_My arm is limp spaghetti._

_I can move it, but it_ feels _dead._

_I get up._

_My feet walk like I’m on the moon._

_I don’t glance down._

_-What was I trying to do again?_

_..._

_It’ll probably come back to me._

_On the fence about opening my mouth, ‘cause I don’t know who’s listening._

_This injury_ will _kill me if I don’t do something-_

_My heartbeat’s slowed._

_How’s my breathing?_

_-A struggle._

_....That’s-that’s wonderful. . . ._

_I stumble through a ~~branch~~_ _bush._

Oops-

_I have no money to pay for that-_

_Another giant tree._

_-Someone lives in there?_

_Some kind-of candle glows in the window._

_...It is getting rather late-_

_I sneak a peek in, juuuust in case-_

_Huh._

_No one’s home._

_“-Yes? Can I help you?”_

_-I nearly jump out of my shoes._

_“Who-“_

_This person is tall, silver-haired, and a bit more perceptive than is comfortable for me, I can already tell._

_“...Who are you?”_

_Those orange eyes pierce without looking like they are...if that makes sense-_

_“-Uh-“_

_Time_ is _running away-_

_“I don’t suppose you have any bandages?”_

_'Stranger Danger', they always say._

_Yet here I am, with my sleeve rolled up to my shoulder while clenching my teeth because sewing is_ painful-

_“If you hold still, it won’t hurt as much”._

_“I knowww-“_

_My grin is strained._

_“How did you get this?”_

_“Knife accident”._

_“...”_

_-I’m so glad I don’t get questioned..._

I don’t want to drag you into it.

_They tie off the ends, and then run magic over my arm._

_-I can flex my fingers._

_“......Thanks”._

_“It was nothing”._

_Was it, though?_

_...I tap my fingers on the table._

_“....Hypothetically speaking-“_

_“Yes?”_

_These never end well, but, welp, here we go-_

_“If someone were in imminent danger of death wherever they went with no idea_ when _it was actually coming...”_

Remain natural-

_“What would you do?”_

_“....”_

_[beat]_

_“Are you asking for a friend?”_

_. . ._

_“Yes”._

Am I caught?

-Don’t let me be caught-

_“Hmm....”_

_They tap their chin._

_“I would head to the Underworld myself...those residing inside are ‘dead’, are they not?”_

_“Wha-undercover...”_

_....It_ does _sound pretty good._

 _Death might have a problem with that-_ my _Death, not the one I saw last..._ visit.

_But considering what I am, that’ll be the biggest obstacle I face._

_-It’s not as if I’d be interfering with life anymore, either, it’d be petty for the Other Party (whoever they are) to try and press further..._

_It’s not a permanent solution, however._

_Well..._

_“If you see it like that, I suppose it can be”._

_I let out a breath._

I can figure the rest of it later.

_“Thank you...?”_

_“Amber”._

_They have a curious expression._

_“Something going on I should know?”_

_“Nope”._

_I shake my head._

_“Nothing-like I said, it was a hypothetical anyway”._

_I stand._

_“Thanks again-“_

_“It’s no problem...”_

_I head for the door._

_“.....Be careful, okay?”_

_“Okay”._

_That smile says they know more than I think._

_As I crunch through the grass, I ponder..._

_I have my plan._

_I just need to recover a certain plant man._

_But how..._

_I chew on my lip._

_...Doesn’t he have dream power?_

_-Yeah, that’s how we first entered that Purple Wood..._

_I wonder if he’s tried to get ahold of me at all._

-I was unconscious for at _least_ half of those moments then.

_My cheeks flame._

My bad-

_I would’ve felt_ something _by now otherwise, right?_

_Or maybe not._

_That person we met lacked the impression of ‘Just Playing’._

...So how do I find him if it’s like that?

_I’m no good at tracking-_

_Unless it’s Dimensional Disturbances..._

_My foot trips on something._

Huh?

_It’s a purplish-red vine._

_......_

_I follow it into the shadow of a stump-_

There’s no way.

_I sink inside--_

_The growth stretches on for an absurd while._

Oh my G-

...

Goodness.

_As soon as he falls into my arms, I can already tell there’s gonna be an unhappy story behind it._

_But hey-_

_At least now I have some good news._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love friendship, yes we do-


	24. Candy Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vero and Kyoko watch their paradox take effect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied drugging/sugar rush. Vomit mention. Body horror.

.......

“-What’s it doing?”

The portrait is vomit-pink.

“...Buffering”.

The froth quit.

The smell didn’t.

It only got stronger.

And _I_ don’t know how to ventilate-

“No ink-bleed”.

Yeah, that’s only gotten sharper-

“Kinda escaping the lines-“

Like a cartoon character on electrical failure.

“Why does everything have to be so _sweet!??”_ I complain-

“It’s a thematic element”, she says without an ounce of emotion in her voice.

“Thematic, my-“

Pink liquid leaks onto her hands, and the whole thing hits the floor.

-Almost.

“-Slippery. We need a list of symptoms we can add to if need be”.

“Uh, why-“

“In case those two come back, Naegi-kun wakes up, and she’s still under an induced-high”.

“We’re gonna do this often?”

“Chances are...”

She rearranges her grip.

“Taking notes for how to counter whatever may occur can help us combat them in the future”.

-She has a _notepad_ too, how-?

“We’re going to need more wrapping material”.

-So we get that, and then she clicks her pen, and starts scribbling.

The frame stays gross, but we’re not dealing with a flash- _flood._

We can handle this.

*

It looks like something Picasso made.

-I can’t even believe I’m staring at the same picture.

“...I will see you in my nightmares”.

“Don’t worry, we can bring her out of it”.

We have that wand.

We have _some_ hope-

...

I'm evil and I need hope.

How did _that_ happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What it looks like from the Other Side.


	25. Aug. 29th, 2020, Sat.: Pink trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The drunk state must be suppressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Acting intoxicated, brainwashing, straitjackets, subconscious manipulation/hypnosis/sense deprivation, language. Eating mention.

"S-sober? What are you talking about?!"

She lays me back onto a bed, and-I can't-get-the mittens!

Off!!

I can't grab-

They're tightening!?

They fumble me into some kind of pink sweater, I can't move my arms-

Two teddy bears pin my sides.

Too many pillows!!

They strap a VR headset on me.

Pink spiral. . .????

Ow-

It's stuck-!

Headphones.

I don't want my playlist, I want-

I want-

Soothing...music.....

_Close your eyes._

_Close your eyes or you'll regret it-!!_

But....

So...soothing-

_No! What's going on?! I....I...._

Too comfy....?

They put something over my mouth.

Mm...

Flowers. . . . . .

Candy-

_I want to eat it..._

_Tired. . . . ._

_T i r e d_

_._

_._

_._

<3

_"What?"_

_I don't know much._

_But **that** looks _ _like smoke._

_"No!"_

_Envy's out here trying to throw vine-_

_I stop him with an arm._

_"It's extremely volatile. If you touch it, you'll fall under the spell"._

_"I'd rather take that chance than lose Alice"._

_"I'm not letting you!"_

_"Well, what am I supposed to do?! Just let her be brainwashed! I have to stop this once and for all"._

_I blink-_

_"Envy...."_

_"I'm going to stop this!"_

_"But Mystic---"_

_"She's putting people in danger! I have to stop this. No more of this!"_

_"You backstabbing b*d!"_

_"...."_

_Hello?_

_Hi, yes, I barely know you-_

_*_

_I_ **knew** _it._

_Another time leak._

_Only this_ is _truly the_ _future._

What, does she have some kind of _alarm_ that goes off right when it's most inconvenient!??

_She rushes into the shadow, Mystic herself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you weren't expecting them to show up, were you?


	26. One-Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The candy duo works with 0%.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied brainwashing, parasitic mention.

“…………….”

It stopped looking like a horror show and turned into a pink spiral instead.

No face, just swirling shades.

“-I’m gonna zap it again-“

“Wait”.

The liquid trying to spill all over everything had frozen over into a thick crust.

-So there was that.

The smell, on the other hand, was even more appalling than it already had been!!

“Is it working or not!?”

“-I can’t tell. We’d have to wipe the blockage off…”

I growl, and swipe at it with the wrappings.

“Wait-“

Pink soars up the material, and that stupid scent follows.

“-Okay, so let’s not touch that”.

I gape at it.

“What is this, a Parasite!?”

-Some kind of gray…smoke…is coming off of it now!??

“It could be”.

Naegi-san’s friend there, she adjusts what the thing is lying on.

“We’re gonna need a container, double-sided.

Whatever it is, we don’t want it loose in here”.

“No duh”.

_Gotta be something like that around this maze **somewhere-**_

I get up.

“Holler if anything weird happens".

"....The likelihood of you hearing me is low, but I will".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're trying over here-


	27. Aug. 30th, 2020, Sun.: Pink Contaminant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can they shut it up before it gets worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Slight mention of language, non-graphic.

“-How’s this?”

He came back with a clear box the size of my arm.

“-Where did you find that?”

“Somewhere”.

He shrugs.

“Okay…”

-He’s not being shady, I can tell.

“Put it in”.

The wrappings are almost completely soaked now.

We’ll need to wipe up the sogging parts of the floor.

A little may be lost, but it’s better than what it could be, later.

"..."

He pops the lid, and we fumble it in together.

"Nope-"

He grits his teeth, and shifts quickly, to avoid being splashed.

-It splats.

The slamming of the lid, echoes.

(-He mutters something curse-worthy under his breath that I will not repeat here).

.....

The see-through plastic fogs up.

White, with a pink tint.

". . . ."

He sighs.

"Glad we got it settled".

"Yes-as for right now, we should leave her portrait alone...we still have these pinkish stains to clean".

(He groans).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Team work-


	28. Aug. 31st, 2020, Mon.: The Cleaners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise gift comes in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Minor brainwashing mention, minor phys. violence. Brief choking mention. Actual choking. Kind-of horror?

-Somebody left Cleaning Supplies out here, how am I supposed to feel?

They could be legit.

Or they could mean that the Evil’s gotten so desperate they’ve resorted to cursing _laundry supplies_ _._

“You want these?” I holler over my shoulder-

“What are they?”

“Strong sprayer and squeegees-“

“From who”.

“....I don’t know, it says ‘Name Change Pending’”.

“....That’s sketch”.

“You got any _better_ ideas?”

“Hit them with the Wand, first”.

“I don’t want to smell like candy all day-“

“It already does smell like candy”.

Fudge.

-Yeah, I know the irony...

Pink sprays into the air, and I cough.

“Will you _stop_ that-“

“Don’t brainwash yourself”.

“I’m trying _not_ to!!”

-It slaps my hand like an agitated ruler.

“Ow-“

“Let me see”.

“No, I’ve got it-“

A candy cane smacks upside my head.

"Oh that-is- _it-"_

It gets plucked from my hand.

-It purrs like a _cat,_ I'm-

It showers sparkles, and she doesn't even need to talk.

No dark magic disbursement....

"It's safe".

"Now the real fun begins", I mutter.

Thankfully, there's not many of them, but still deadly.

I spray one end, and get to work-

She takes the other.

Sal rests on the floor at least six feet away.

The box is starting to fog up-

_Should we spray that, too?_

At least _this_ doesn't go off in my face.

It takes several minutes of **intense** scrubbing to make the mark disappear.

"Got it-"

"-How about giving me a hand?"

Twenty minutes later, we just have a completely-pink-clouded cube.

"Oh brother..."

Not looking forward to tackling that.

"We should make sure the Portrait's not suffocating".

"Suffocating-!??"

"The cover is too solid. It has to be".

_You're kidding._

"-Well we can't just stick our hands in there-!!"

"You're right-We'll need gloves?"

"Yeah-"

"And more candy magic".

".....Ughh........"

-So I search around for those.

It takes me like, _three hours-_

_Who's brilliant idea was it to stuff these in the belfry!?_

With the bats.

Who hissed at me.

-I had to bribe them with cheese.

....Yes, that makes no sense.

This is a strange Mindscape, okay?

"I'm back-"

I hear creaking.

"What the-"

Kirigiri-san is moving away from the walls.

They're swelling, blue-tinged, and about to pop.

"Um...?"

"-I knew it, she's suffocating".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sing the Cleaning Song.


	29. Sept. 1st, 2020, Tues.: Arm's Length

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you miss the Rescuer Duo? Because I did-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Mention of slapping, mention of guns. Threat of death.

-I may not be able to see her, but in the way she says one word, I can tell she is tempted to smack me.

  
“....I-“

...Situation’s urgent enough, I don’t have _time_ to be nice.

And then she goes quiet-

_Enoshima’s not going to wait around forever to make her next move._

I already imagine this is part of some attempt to make her think no one’s really coming.

Though I don’t believe she counted on _us._

_That doesn’t change the fact that the longer we stay here, the more likely we are to be captured, ourselves-_

“I don’t know-“

“-Even if you can’t trust him, you can trust me, right?”

-And there’s Alex, being the good teammate.

“I’m one of the good guys!”

_-He_ would _say it as such..._

Some kind of irritating laugh blasts overhead.

_The bear is overrated._

“Upupupupu-!!”

_Points for originality, however-_

I’m pulled back, there must be something-

“What’s going on?”

“They’ve got guns--”

“The Soldier-?”

“Nope-“

“-Where are we going”.

“Out of range”.

“It wouldn’t make sense to kill us now-“

Depending on what she would have said, we could’ve been rejected.

“You think so?”

“In terms of availability, we may as well be free real estate”.

“Oh great. . .” he groans.

_In fact, if I’m right about this, our fates might be in Delta’s hands._

But I don't want to cause a panic _quite_ yet, so I keep quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, what could happen now?


	30. A Rush Of Fresh Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, more candy shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brainwashing, suffocation mention, literal shutdown, brief language and it's censored.

_“Suffocating!?”_

-I was gone for _three hours..._

Our earlier conversation floats back to me.

_Darn **bats-!!**_

“Yeah-we have to hurry”.

She crouches by the cube none of us dared to move while the floor heaves-

I throw her a pair of gloves.

“Get ready. We don’t know what it will do if we open it”.

“Yeah, yeah...”

I slip on a pair, myself.

She cracks the lid up-

Overflowing, _pink-!!?_

-She quickly sprays it with the wand.

Sprinkles weigh it down.

-I hear something clink in the darkness.

_What the-?_

I swoop there while she’s occupied-

It's hard to catch my balance.

_Oxygen tanks._

“The donor’s at it again-“

“What is it this time?”

“Compressed air”.

I haul them next to the growing mountain of run-off.

The condensation is making me sweat-

“Okay, we have to funnel the liquid somewhere”.

-Is she just always in ‘go’ mode, or what?

My lungs are exhausted, and it's only been five minutes.

“Funnel it where?”

The brainwashing could spread like wildfire...

I struggle to breathe in.

_If we last that long._

“Preferably, a countering force that could destroy it”.

“What in H*...could counter-“

“An induced blackout”.

“What-“

“....It’ll freeze the effects”.

“Okay but-how are we supposed to wake her up after that?”

“We’ll bring her here-like when we summoned her...before”.

“....But still, how do we wake her up?”

“Makoto still has his powers...she could probably get ahold of him using her own”.

“Right...”

I check out the nozzles.

“If we direct the air flow into that mess....we could do that via...vacuum-“

“We just have to make sure we don’t blow her brain through her ears, either”.

_-Same wavelength?_

_For once-_

It legit _froze over._

Black ice.

We ran each and every tank empty.

“This better work”.

“It should”.

...

The walls stopped heaving.

So did the floor.

Air was still pretty short--

But that was about as good as this was gonna get.

"....That was almost too close".

"I agree".

Moments passed-

We caught our breaths.

Now the fun part:

We had to heat it up enough so we could reach through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They tried...


	31. Sept. 2nd, 2020, Weds.: Honey Rope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With 50/50 trust in the atmosphere, what do they do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied guns. Threat of violence.

“What’s happening now??”

It’s gotten quiet, but that’s all I know.

“The bear’s saying something....”

_That’s a bad omen..._

“Can you overhear-“

“Nope”.

I frown.

“Is she about to be shot?”

“Nope-“

I thought she wouldn’t be....

“And us?”

“Well.....”

Why do I get the feeling he’s grinning like a scared rabbit.

“Not yet.....”

_Not reassuring._

I feel for the dust.

Still have it...

I am debating whether or not to just use it.

Throwing distance can’t be that far.

Some for her, and some for us.

No more time for indecision.

-Yet if she just tried to go back after that, there would be no point.

If we could win her over before the Despair sisters did, we’d really throw a wrench.

But what would be compelling enough to get her to-

“Man...”

Alex is sounding tired.

“We’ve gotta _do_ something-“

“You have to do it. She doesn’t trust me”.

“Yeah, but I’m hanging out with you-“

“Tell her it was my idea”.

“What’ll that do?”

“It’ll make it clear you’re only ‘hanging out’ with me by necessity, not because you want to”.

“Okay-“

We are speaking in low voices to avoid being overheard, but a false sense of security is the worst-

“Take some”.

“The dust-?”

He jumps as I grab his hand.

“If we must leave separately, we can”.

“...”

“I’ve been doing this for years”.

-He does accept it.

I don’t let him go too far.

Underestimate nothing.

And I _won’t._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go Alex, go!!


	32. Sept. 3rd, 2020, Thurs.: The Deep, Dark Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Candy Duo keep up their efforts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied severe brainwashing. Implied death warning. Brief licking. Sweets.

-More clattering.

We both turn.

Tanks and space heaters!?

“Our donor’s been busy”, is Kirigiri-san’s only remark.

“It hasn’t even been a _second-“_

But we use them anyway.

We run the fuel out _seven times._

To make a _tiny_ hole, and a crap-ton of layers.

“If we use up the rest, we’ll at least have something to shout through”.

_Naegi-san’s hope has_ definitely _rubbed off._

......After that, we had a hole about the size of an arm.

I tap one layer.

It crackles, thinner than paper.

“-Yeah, we’ve got it”.

“Good thing”.

I shove through until it’s up to my shoulder.

“How is it?”

“It is disgustingly warm. .. ... - !”

I want to gag.

I’ll probably do it later.

“I’m surprised she hasn’t overheated”.

...Me too-

_We’d need a crap-ton of ice packs, then._

I don’t know if our donor can read minds.

I _do_ know that this is _nasty._

“Hey, you in there!?”

-I don’t get a response.

Like she’d feel like answering anyway...

I keep on grasping around until I touch something.

“-Found her hair...”

Is it hair?

“Don’t tear her out by the hair-“

“I’m not a kid, I know-“

I reach lower.

“-I’ve got fabric”.

“Can you pull it?”

“-Some stretch, but yeah-“

I heave on the stinking thing until I’m _drenched._

“She’s _stuck”._

“Let go for a second”.

She comes around.

“-That’s a deep groove”.

“I know. And it’s like candy-scented slime”.

“Good to know”.

She gets down and just shoves her arm in there-

“......Feels a bit hazy”.

“Yeah?”

_So what do we do?_

“We should be able to repeat what we did last time for this problem-“

“You mean the-“

“Yeah. That Wand”.

_Oh wonderful._

The one who completely hates my guts.

“Then you use it, not me”.

“Sure-I’ll have to reverse the spell...”

“Huh”.

“Overload her anymore, and we’ll have a full shutdown on our hands”.

I don’t doubt it’d end badly.

I watch her submerge again, not quite as far as last time.

The Wand starts to suck ‘magic’ back in...

It sputters and coughs.

Her skirt explodes with sprinkles.

“What the h-“

“I think it’s fine”.

She licks a big, pink candy.

“Tastes normal”.

“-Are you sure you’re not a Creepypasta _yourself?”_

_-'_ _Tastes normal'._

_That’s_ what she says, and it’s ten piles later, that we realize.

“-It’s not working”.

“No it is”, I say, “She must have some kinda device making it go on, and on”.

"....That's going to be difficult to combat from where we are".

"Well we can't just leave-"

"I know".

I can't read her face.

".....We may need back-up".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Makes you want to eat sticky sweets, doesn't it?


	33. Sept. 4th, 2020, Fri.: Ice Breaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuck against the wall for choices, Kyoko does something quite strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: God's name, implied choking, psych horror, implied psych conditioning. Slight language. Threat of death. Slight panic. Immobilized. Brief mention of dolls.

“Back-up?”

-I was gonna ask her who she had in mind, when yet another clatter-

What. The-

Ice packs, space heaters + extra fuel.

They just kept coming....

“-You’re as pale as a ghost”, Kirigiri-san told me.

“I-“

_They **can** read minds!??_

Or was it some weird fluke??

“At any rate, I’m not sure these will help us now”.

“...Who’s your back-up-“

I sound strangled.

I clear my throat-

“The fact that we can’t bring her up here means that there’s outside interference”.

“So we need someone to go on the outside?”

“If we want to make sure everything we’ve done up until this moment doesn’t accidentally damage the Mind instead...”

Oh crap.

“Is it anyone I’d know?”

“No”.

-Glad we have that settled.

“You got a plan to keep them out of the crosshairs?”

“I do. Sort-of”.

“Sort-of? You?”

“This person is pretty unknown”.

“.....Okay-“

We couldn’t go far, no way we were letting someone run off with the Quasi-Spirit, either!

She had one of the ice packs with her, still fresh with frost.

We laid out Sal, then she began to draw on the floor.

Some kind-of star-

It had eight points.

“Where did you learn to-“

“Tanaka Gundham went on a rant once”.

_One rant?_

_-I mean mood-_

“You think who or what you’re summoning will actually show up-“

“Normally, I don’t put much stock in his Tales of the Netherworld, but then this”.

_......Duly noted._

Because of the heat, it starts to fade.

-I speed back to the mountain of supplies.

Kirigiri-san continues drawing:

_Reminds me of a giant snowflake._

She stops.

It glows white for an instant.

“...Is that really it?”

I find it pretty hard to believe.

“...Tanaka-san was complaining that he didn’t take sacrifices”.  
“...”

_‘Kay._

“....Are you there?”

She puts her ear to the mass of lines.

“There’s this girl being held prisoner by a Bird woman”.

She holds out her hand.

_What do you wa-_

_Oh._

She sets the portrait at the center.

“Her brain is under attack, and we don’t want to be wiped in the process.

But if we try to do anything more, we might kill her.

If you could find what’s in the way of us getting her up here, that would be great”.

The white lines waft over the iced disaster we created-

“Thank you”.

She stands.

“...They’re really gonna do it for free?”

That’s like saying there’s a unicorn in Manhattan somewhere.

“It was a sticking point”.

“....What other weird rumors have you overheard lately!?”

~

_It’s peaceful in Pink World..._

_Be calm._

_Be sweet._

_Be happy._

_I must feed the dolls tea after this._

_Then we can all be friends forever._

_-I should bring the others here too._

_It’s so nice..._

_Why did I want to leave again?_

-The pink spiral cracks.

I jump-

Colors fade to black.

_....Well that’s alright._

_I have music..._

The sounds sputter out.

The silence...

My ears grow cold.

I try to press them into being warm.

My hands.

I can’t move my hands-

_....At least this scent is sweet._

_If I tune in, I won’t panic--_

_Panic?_

_What’s that?_

_Better to just forget about the oddness..._

_Emmy will take care of it._

_They’re dependable._

_You can always depend on them-_

The scent fades to ice.

_Cold-_

No more candy?

What happened-

I breathe it in, it was an accident-!!

I **_shiver._**

It doesn’t taste good.

But I can’t call for help.

My _mouth_ is frozen.

I’m pinned to the spot.

I can’t let anyone know.

_Don’t be afraid._

I’m starting to be.

_Don’t worry._

Don’t worry....

I have to hold my breath.

But it’s...not there?

Faintly, I’m beginning to realize that my lungs?

Are _strained-_

“Help-“

I can’t get the word out of me...!??

How did I...not notice?

My vision being black at the edges-

-Slightly less-strained.

But still strained.

I’m-

 _So_ cold.

 _Freezing_ cold--

_I don’t like this anymore-_

I’m **scared.**

**~**

The pink we couldn’t quite contain, frosts.

We could crack it off with our hands, and its re-growth would be slowed. . .

“Thank you”, she says to the star in the floor.

It melts away in record time.

“Alright”.

I push in my arm.

"Let's try this again".

She nods.

"Good luck".

I feel around.

Hair-

Like before, I go lower.

....Fabric.

I hook my hand around an arm.

“I’ve got her-“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They be pulling out all the stops for this.


	34. Runaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their plan has a hitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Vomit mention, some minor phys. violence, brainwashing, panicking.

Light floats in front of my face, and I _cough._

Ice crystals still clog my throat.

I blink away frost on my eyelids...

The smell of candy is chilling off.

I want to throw up.

_Bad._

I don’t know why.

The noise in my mind is ringing with echoes.

It’s like something was there, and then it got twisted-

I raise a shaking limb, and I hit one ear.

Snow crackles.

“Alice?”

“Huh-“

Two people--

“Who...who are you-“

“You’re in a safe place”, the woman says.

“No-I have to go back-!!”

I get grabbed.

I want to fight--

“Don’t make me fight-fighting is bad-!!”

“-Sounds like the mental conditioning stuck”.

She peers at my eyes.

“Well how do we undo that?”

The man’s voice is frustrated.

“Unless you’re good with hypnosis, I don’t think we can”.

“What about the Wand?”

“. . . .That _could_ work...but we don’t know the full capabilities”.

“Let. Go!”

-I stomp on his toe.

“OW-“

I elbow him in the stomach and run away-

“-She really did that-!!” I faintly hear in disbelief-

My frozen feet slip up, and I smash my chin on the floor.

-I nervously look behind me-

A bunch of blankets, and first-aid kits pour from nowhere, making them look away from me.

I scrabble upright, and zoom.

I don’t know how long, or for how far I run.

Mirrors don’t show my reflection, they show blurs of color, other places.

I don’t stop long enough to look at them.

Maybe when it’s safer...

I have to find a way back!

I don’t know them-

They have to be dangerous!

I can only trust Emmy and my friends-

I don’t know what happened or what’s going on.

Will they worry?

I tuck myself into a corner, trying to catch my breath.

I’m scared.

My heart’s thumping too hard.

I’m so scared-

A big puff of pink dust erupts in my face, and I sneeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's not the only trouble.


	35. Rescue Cut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Speaking of pink dust...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Threat of death, threat of gun violence, impalement. Implied bomb. Mental/phys. injuries.

-It comes from the ceiling.

A silent noise.

It’s too late for him to move out of the way-

I throw the pink dust.

Alex disappears.

The cacophony of something sharp and impaling (probably spears), echoes for all of a minute.

I only have one handful left, now.

I don’t know if it was enough to take her with him, or not.

“Hello? Are you still there?”

. . . . . It was worth a try.

I reach for what I know is in front of me, and pull one from the ground.

_Extra weapon._

It’s _all_ mine.

-Then I feel around the others, of course.

I don’t _think_ I will be shot _quite_ yet, but I don’t have much faith that I _won’t_ be shot, either.

More likely, they’ll want to know who I am and where I came from, which I can’t let slip-

(Should have realized they’d try to dispatch him like that).

_Upupupupupu-!!_

No sudden movements.

I would _love_ to crush that bear’s face in.

-But that’s also the fastest way to die.

Or worse.

_Nice quick thinking, Jack!_

_Can you outplay_ this?

Outplay what.

-An explosion of glass and static---

The grating voice breaks.

I try to fend off the debris.

The force knocks me against the line of iron posts.

It could’ve been worse-

My head throbs, but that’s about-

Oh.

I take one step and I’m on my knee.

....Hm.

I blink-

Maybe I’m _not_ the most reliable perspective at the moment.

Well.

I clench the spear until metal cracks.

I slam it into the floor, and then push myself up.

I still have this-

I still have dust.

I think.

I will have to check again-

But my _point_ is-

Our efforts are far from over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, a third one.


	36. Sept. 5th, 2020, Sat.: Misadventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And there was only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied gun violence, death by big knife, brief electric torture, immobilized. Phys. violence, body horror. Implied eye trauma.

“Woah-!!”

I sneeze and hack in the pink cloud, and let’s pretend I aced that landing.

“Mr. Bodyguard!??”

-Where am I-!??

I waft the haze away from me.

-I’m back in the Mind.

Without him.

And no Delta, either.

_.....I can’t get back._

-I know he’s got dust, but...

_He might be murdered before then-_

Finding the others would be a _great_ idea.

-

She’s gone.

She must’ve been moved while I was distracted...though with the way she was acting earlier, she may have just run, herself.

It’s gotten deathly-silent around here again, and yet-

I swing the spear.

-Gunfire.

I fall back in time, but-

Now I’m hemmed in.

To this _tiny_ corner-

-Is it a corner?

It is a hallway.

Of some kind.

-But does it have a corner?

A wall.

That answers that.

.......How long is the ‘Light’, going to affect my sight?

-In a couple hours, maybe.

If ever.

I’ll have to adjust on the fly.

I skirt the wall furthest from where the turrets are-estimated to be-

My shoulder erupts in pain--

_I’m still getting used to it, I’ll be fine-_

Whatever is interesting down here, I’ll be running into it eventually.

-Let us trip up the stairs.

That’s always fun...

There must be more cameras here.

I reach up, and crunch the lens.

It won’t matter much, but it _does_ make me feel better.

At the top, another door.

It didn’t open until I bashed the knob.

Hmm. . .

I listen.

Silent.

Either someone is stealthy, or...

I walk in.

Arms latch onto mine.

My _shoulder_ is jogged-

It was too easy.

I try to whack them with the spear.

I impale something-

The pressure on me increases, but-

Don’t-let-go-

I keep driving it in, until they collapse to one knee.

I can’t rip it out.

What about my chains-

They whip around the person’s ankles and pull.

-They pull me down with them.

-Now I’m pinned.

That’s not good-

I kick at where their elbow must be.

A grunt-

Alright, I’m close.

And they’ll wish they had _never_ trapped me.

-I get zapped.

“OW-“

That came from nowhere-

Before I was smashed through that mirror, I could’ve stabbed them to death a lot sooner.

As it is, I thump something.

Muscle.

I squirm-

I can’t bring the dust forth.

-I wouldn’t want it anyway, not at this moment, but I don’t want _them_ to find it, either.

-I don’t want them to recognize who it used to belong to.

That’ll lead to an...inquiry-

It won’t end well.

I strain my ears to catch any sounds, people coming, weapons being cocked, etc...

Being unable to move is quickly bringing back unpleasant memories.

I go limp.

-And there it is.

They ease slightly--

I yank an arm free, and stab fingers at their eyes.

Or what must be.

_-Loud._

Invisible weight refuses to leave me.

There was a doorway leading up, with more stairs.

Makes sense, Dawn and Benny appeared to be locked in a dungeon.

I highly doubt Delta will be there, but you never know...

Maybe I’ll come across where she’ll be, first.

Or where they’ll be planning to bring her.

Whichever...

The problem is, I’m not sure she’ll _want_ to leave.

And I _could_ use the dust then, but the outcome-

........Who knew I’d give myself the headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear...


	37. Sept. 6th, 2020, Sun.: Narrow Shave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Safe but not sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Sort-of eating? Worrying, picking at things-

He didn’t see me-?

That pink cloud blew, and I swallowed pure sugar.

And then I sneezed.

But he didn’t hear-

He just-

Ran.

......Good.

I didn’t know him anyway.

So creepy. . . . .

I know no one here...

The _fear_ roots me to the spot.

_What if he comes back?_

I don’t want to be found out-

I slowly crawl into the light.

“. . . . . . .”

It’s...quiet.......

A part of me is scared to go deeper.

_But if I don’t-_

I pick nervously at my fingernails.

_I don’t want to be caught-_

I hover in the middle of the intersection.

My heart thumps hard-

I have to be careful.

Careful. . .

I slowly inch myself away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is deeper in there anyway?


	38. Sept. 7th, 2020, Mon.: Wandering Further

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Along with dreams, there must be nightmares, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Minor head trauma, panicking, being watched. General creepiness. Nyctophobia.

-Ow-

Something thunks to the ground:

A kit.

I rub my poor head-

_Where did this come from..._

I prod it with a foot.

Then I pick it up.

I look around-

.....

I’m almost too afraid to call out.

“Hello?”

...I wait.....

_Who’s there!??_

Now I’m too scared to move-

_Where’s a cute, sweet teddy bear to hug when you need one!!?_

.....I slowly start walking again.

No noise, no noise-!!

Don’t make any noise.

It’s not good.

Not good-

I have to calm.

Calm--

My breath comes in short bursts.

It’s getting darker.

The golden lights flicker and gutter-

_. . .I’m scared-_

The mirrors are getting creepier...

Skeletal hands peep around the frame of one.

I can _swear_ orange eyes stare at me from another.

Water leaks from a third, and I hop around it frantically!!!

_I don’t like it-_

I don’t like this at _all._

  


It gets so dark, I can’t see a hand in front of my face.

It was nicer where I began-

Am I...being watched?

Can’t go back, though....

_Are you lost?_   


"No-"

-I said that without thinking.

I skitter backwards-

_Don't be afraid..._   


I search with my eyes, but I don't see-?

_Nothing will hurt you down here..._   


"W-what?"

That's not what _I_ heard-

_Everything_ can hurt me outside.  


"But-but it's scary".

_You're here anyway._   


I gulp-

They're right. . .

I'm only there because I have no choice, though...

"I'm not gonna stay-I have to get to Emmy!"

_Emmy?_   


Low laughter.

_You **hate** her._   


"No I don't-"

-Wait, why am I still standing in the middle of the road!??

I duck into a side-passage.

_Don't believe it?_   


Never in a million years-

I keep running.

I just _know_ something's after me. . . . . . .

_Why don't you look for yourself?_   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Labor Day!


	39. Mind Converge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two expeditions meet up. -Well, sort-of...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Because Junko is a warning in and of herself. Implied brainwashing, threat of death, loss of innocence discussed? Tracking things.

_No way-_

I couldn’t even tell who those voices belonged to.

Rather than say anything else, I just ran off.

-

“-Can you believe this?”

I pick a tracking device up off the floor.

“Alice isn’t chipped, though”, Kirigiri-san points out.

“Still works”.

I shake it-

Red dot’s still constant.

“This donor must have some serious dark magic or something”.

“Where is she?”

I zoom out.

“-She managed to find the Nightmares”.

“The Nightmares?”

“The really dark and horrific stuff-wouldn’t expect _that_ from a girl like her would you?”

I grin-

“Can any of it _kill_ her?”

“Who knows”.

I shrug.

“It hasn’t eroded her yet-“

“We need to get down there immediately”.

-

“Woah-!!”

-He almost ran into us, but he ended up sitting down himself.

“Alex?”

“You’re missing someone”, she observes.

“Dawn and Benny are safe”, he blurts, “and we saw Delta except that I nearly got impaled so he sent me back-“

“And he’s over there alone?”

“....Yup”.

The Aviator gets up, drawing in breath.

“He has a way to bring himself here, but-“

_“No one_ should underestimate Enoshima Junko”.

Purple eyes snap.

“That’s why I’m worried-“

“-Add him on the list of people to find”, I interrupt.

“What-“

“Alice is up here somewhere, mentally mind-bent, and bat-terrified of us”.

“That’s not good-“

“Someone’s been dropping things we need since a few hours ago”, she explains further, “Including a tracker-“

“For-?”

“Not Tokens”, she clarifies, and the uncomfortable look on his face disappears.

_What was that about?_

“It’s for Alice”.

“Is she chipped-“

“No”.

“What-“

“I have no idea, but apparently it works like that”.

“Okay-“

“Anyway, you with us?”

I check the screen again.

She’s stopped moving.

“If she dies up here, it won’t be pretty”.

"Yeah, I'm with you-"

"Let's go".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triple crossover, hehe.


	40. Sept. 8th, 2020, Tues.: Revise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Blood, still panicking, the dark, watching, implied gun violence/injury, some self-doubt?

I slow.

The dead sprint is getting to me...

I huff.

_Where am I-_

What’s left of my breath disappears.

Blood’s on the wall.

Giant, shadowy arms stick to the ceiling and floor.

Eyes stare...

In them, I can almost see the terror that’s been chasing me this far.

I rub my arms.

_Now what-_

There are no mirrors down here.

Just dark holes.

Sometimes, I can catch flickers of whispering.

I can’t make out what they say-

_...Hate Emmy?_

There’s just no way.

She’s good to us...right?

She’s always been good.

-A ripple runs through the floor.

“. . .!!”

I stumble-

My arm becomes sticky.

I swallow hard.

_I’ve gotta keep moving._

I’ve gotta, or I’ll be caught-

I don’t know what they’ll do or what they’re planning, and I don’t want to find out.

I look around for a place to go.

A place to get back to her.

-Preferably, somewhere with a bird sign...

I hesitantly venture deeper.......

The quiet’s just silence now.

-

Specters hiss in the shadows, but they don’t approach us.

They don’t dare-

Not as long as I’m around.

Alex and Kirigiri-san fall in behind, Sal still on her back.

“Cold-“

The boy chatters his teeth as he splashes through a puddle.

“You do realize that could be possessed, right?”

“-On that note, give me a sec-“

He yanks a rag from his pocket, and begins to wipe off the sole.

I sigh.

“...Hey, can I have some more magic dust?”

“What for”.

-That came from nowhere...

“Just want to check-in on someone”.

“That’s a good idea”.

She handles the Wand.

One poof later, and a familiar face appears in a swirl in the air:

“-I’m fine”.

“...Hi to you too?”

Alex grins awkwardly-

“Where are you?”

Kirigiri-san takes over.

“I’m in a long hallway. I can hear voices to the....ahead”.

“Okay, and-?”

Alex prompts-

“And what”.

“Why are you all covered in blood-“

“There were guns, it was inevitable”.

“...What happened to Delta?”

“She may have been removed to further inside...if I can just find her-they must have a Lab for the process, and it’s probably in the middle of everything”.

“-How are you gonna get her to trust you, though?”

“-I was just going to throw the dust. Then we’d both go back, and it’d be settled”.

“I could come in again with dust too, you know-“

“It’s probably safer if you stay”.

Kirigiri-san.

They’re playing ping-pong at this point-

“You could just have the dust bring her, here”.

“-Why didn’t I think of that!??”

I laugh aloud at the Aviator’s face.

“-That is a smart idea”, his partner-in-crime adds.

Another poof later-

He sinks to the floor, cross-legged.

“-That was a time”.

Alex shakes his head in response.

“There’s a chance that particles from the first handful I used on Alex got on her as well”.

“You think so?”

“The dust cloud was sizable, I could feel it”.

“Well...you heard him”.

Kirigiri-san nods.

She waves the Wand, and it creates a nice funnel.

At the other end, a picture forms-

Brunette curls.

“Looks like her-“ he confirms-

The tiny particles left behind glow pink.

She compels them to return-

Alex reaches out to catch her.

The formerly-missing Writer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, here they go-


	41. Sept. 9th, 2020, Weds: The Author

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delta's back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Darkness, panic, implied injury, brainwashing/virus. Death threat. Control issues.

Silence. . . . . . .

Except for my own breathing.

It’s _pitch-_ dark now.

My stomach hurts, I’m that afraid.

I can’t make myself call out...

Occasionally, I’d see the flash of an eye-

I jump every time.

I must be _super_ deep.

I can’t imagine what’s at the other side of this...

I finally stop.

Something-

Something’s there.

-

“Close it, _close it-“_

I don’t know who said it-

Kirigiri-san does _something,_ and the resulting whoosh nearly buffets out our bones.

“-Everybody still here?”

As unruffled as usual.

“. . . . In person, or in spirit?”

Chains clank as he rises. . .

“I’m good...”

Alex straightens his goggles.

Sal lays like a log-

And Delta stares at everyone, wide-eyed as heck.

Her crutches lie on the floor.

Ankle taped up.

Her glasses are hanging off her nose.

“Wh-who are you? What’s going on-“

“-We changed our plan”, Alex starts helpfully.

“I-I don’t know you-and you-“

She points at me-

And then the other guy-

“They’re just here because they have to live in whatever world results from all of this”, Kirigiri-san says matter-of-factly.

“...They do?”

She blinks.

“-I don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth”.

Morivin bluntly states it.

“If that Barrier does come down, there’s no way the rest of us will be left alone”.

“Yeah, the guy’s a control freak and so is everyone who works under him”.

Kirigiri-san nods back a ways.

“That’s why this death game keeps going on”.

-Delta doesn’t get it, but then again.

She hasn’t seen the pictures yet.

She hasn’t even seen that pink mess we made.

“Where is this place?”

“The Mindscape”.

The purple-haired woman gestures around.

“Everyone has one-the inhabitants just vary”.

“While you were over there, did you see Rene?”

-Yeah, I didn’t forget.

“Rene?”

Her eyebrows knit.

“No...?”

“You sure?”

If that Sugarplum Witch managed to get them killed-

. . . . You _can_ actually die twice.

“......”

She spent ten minutes thinking about it, before-

“-Oh no”.

“Oh no, what?”

“Rene’s been infected with a Despair-controlling virus...and I don’t know what it does, but it sounds _really_ bad!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They may have to go back for someone.


	42. Sept. 10th, 2020, Thurs: The Missing Piece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two groups are formed, and what happens when you're brainwashed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Emotional manipulation implied, extreme prejudice. Implied infantilism.

“Despair, huh?”

Not like we expected this to be easy...

“We get Rene here, we can cure it”.

Morivin is smiling at something.

Yes, we should be afraid.

“I’ve tested quite a lot of poisons in my time-“

“I don’t know where Junko took her...”

“We could just do the candy thing again?”

-Worked last time.

Alex has the right idea.

“No particles”, Kirigiri-san reminds him.

“Hm...”

“Portrait”.

I can see a plan forming in those green eyes.

“If we use magic on that, she will be whisked right to us”.

“-We also need to track down Alice”.

She points to the red dot.

“So we split in half”.

A shrug.

“You guys better take care of yourselves”.

I glare at the Wand as she transfers it over to Alex.

“Thanks...we’ll try-“

A nervous grin.

“...What do I do?”

-And Delta.

“You can stay with me if you want”, the Aviator offers.

“...Okay”.

He helps her up, helps her balance on those rickety things.

“Thank you”.

“No problem-“

.....She’s not clinging to him, not yet.

But I can already tell who the most-trusted are, and I’ll give you a hint:

They _aren’t_ Creepypastas.

-

I can hear it moving.

It’s very, very quiet...

“. . . . .”

-What if it wants to eat me?

I stand perfectly still-

_Alice, right?_

-Wait, they know me-!??

“.......”

_Shy as ever._

They come closer.

“. . .I s-shouldn’t be talking to strangers”.

A rock and a hard place never came anywhere _near_ this.

_I’m not a stranger...I’m you, but scarier._

“Scarier? There’s nothing scary about me”.

_You say that, because something’s wrong._

“I-if you’re me and you’re scary, why do you care!?”

A silhouette, can I just-

Creep by--

_You’re only half-alive._

I stumble.

“What!?”

_Without me, you’re only half-alive._

_You can’t live without a_ little _darkness._

I feel like I’m looking at a shadowy mirror.

_I’m what keeps you from blindly obeying people._

“I don’t ‘blindly obey’-“

_Oh yeah?_

_Then what about that bird?_

_She damaged us._

_She forced me out, and you turned into a girl half your age._

“I’m 20-“

_And there’s_ no _way you’d be able to handle yourself in a crisis._

“-I can always just run-“

_You can’t get past me._

Shadows coil up my legs, arms-

“H-hey!”

I struggle-

_There are other people waiting for you, you know._

“If they’re like _you-“_

_I’m not hurting anything._

I can’t move.

‘No violence’, rings in my ears-

_You used to fight a lot better._

“No fighting! Fighting is bad-“

_Just taking it is not much better._

“Good hearts will prevail, right?”

_Unless they have none._

“That’s not true”.

_It’s true where you come from._

“But I come from-“

_Where?_

...

I think on it...but I honestly can’t recall anything before the Golden Bird Cult.

“There was a big tree...”

_And Emmy was the glowing mom, right?_

“Um...”

I think harder.

“Yes......”

_People like her are threatened by those they can’t control._

“But she’s not controlling me”.

_Oh yeah?_

“Yeah-“

_Then what’s that in your pocket?_

“Pocket?”

-The grip slips enough for me to reach inside.

Velvet...

I pull it out.

“. . . .?”

A rose petal?

“....Where did I get that?”

_They missed it._

_I thought they would-_

A tendril snatches it-

“No wait, that’s mine-!”

I grab for it.

_Oh? Why do you care about it?_

They or rather ‘she’, echoes.

_It’s just a piece of flower._

_It doesn’t mean a thing to you anymore._

“.....It’s pretty”.

_If Emmy saw it, she’d call it dirty and throw it away._

“Why?”

_Because it comes from the outside._

“The outside-!??”

-This throws me.

How can it have something good out there?

It’s terrifying-

“...Is there more?”

Slow, grin, spreads.

_Yes._

-My curiosity is starting to grow.

My fingertips spark--!

Small.

“......How do I know I can trust you?”

_Because I can get you outside without being seen._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it actually did work this way, that'd be scary.


	43. New And Improved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delta is caught up to speed. Kind-of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied feelings of uselessness. Flirting.

I half-expect her to ask for my voice, next.

“You can?”

_I can._

“Okay...”

_But it would require both of us going back together._

-

“...”

“...”

“Wow...”

As Delta looked at everything with wide eyes, we kinda just sat there...

-Well, I did.

He kept working at Rene’s portrait until it popped off, nearly smacking him in the nose.

He scowled.

“No change”.

“That’s good...”

“What?”

-Riiight.

She didn’t know-

“Apparently these pictures are empathetic or something?” I tried-

“Yes”.

“-We couldn’t hang yours back up, though”.

“That’s strange...”

-Then she realized what I said.

“Wait, _what!?”_

“It was a failed experiment”.

.....So _cold-_

“Why!?”

“-Because you were kind-of stuck with Enoshima and everybody else was kind-of distracted with other things-“ I try to explain.

“.....”

_-That_ didn’t land well...

I grimace.

“But hey...at least we did it”.

“For now”.

Green eyes glowing an unearthly color in the poor light, he turns back to face us.

“Once we have Rene here, we will not be able to let down our guards for an _instant”._

“...Yeah”.

He sets down the portrait.

“If you can make candy particles reach the other side of the Two-Way, we can bring her through much like we did with you, Delta-“

“Can I...?”

I have _never_ used a wand before.

Ever.

“It won’t work for me, I killed it’s Master”.

“....Yeah”.

“-?”

Shocked and a little scared?

_Sorry Delta-_

.....I grimace.

“Okay...okay....!”

I aim the tip at the ponytails, and I silently apologize in advance-

Candy glitter spews out in a sudden rush, knocking me off of my feet-!

Morivin blinks, then flash-steps...and then flash-steps again-

“-Did that do it?”

I spit ten+ mouthfuls-

“Repeat?”

“Did that do it...”

-Something’s clattering from the way we came.

I hurriedly get up-

He readies his chains.

-They kinda drag-

He scowls.

“Well hello friends…”

The voice booms.

I don’t know who it is-

“-I’m Captain Jack...Captain Jack Harkness”.

This tall, brunette man just walks in, hand briskly-waving-

“….Cool”.

-Morivin stares.

“You know…from the Sci-fi TV show humans love so much?”

Morivin: “I don’t watch TV”.

_Oookay, yeah, this is awkward-_

But Delta’s eyes light up:

“Captain Jack!!”

“Hello Curly Top”.

He grins and comes over to sweep her into a hug.

“Figured you might need the Cavalry, so here I am”.

“Thank you!”

“-How did he get in here?”

I shrug at the question because I have no idea-

“T’was the joining of our Mindscapes”.

He puts an arm around her shoulder.

“When you brought her in, we were all suddenly invited”.

“-There’s more of you?”

“Why so suspicious? We’re perfectly-nice folks, I swear”.

-Green eyes narrow.

“Also-why are you both so gorgeous?”

“-What?”

“Oh…uh…..”

I smile?

“Thanks?”

“I don’t suppose you’re both single?”

“I don’t like you, and it’s none of your business”.

“I….don’t swing that way, sorry….”

“-Ach…”

The guy cringes.

“Why are all the good people unavailable-“

“You’ll find someone someday”, she reassures him.

“Yes-maybe the Current Doctor?”

“We haven’t seen her yet”.

“-You mean I’m early!?”

He seems flabbergasted?

“Yup”.

“Okay”.

He claps his hands together.

“What are we doing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it's really him-


	44. Sept. 11th, 2020, Fri.: Free Rene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic fun 2.0.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Eating, questionable sanitary, implied injury. One needle. Brief phys. violence.

“....”

Words cannot describe this situation.

“We’re trying to do some kind of...magnetic-portal concept?

“Re-gathering”.

“-Yeah, that”.

Alex starts sweeping away the...excessiveness that’s been created.

“Mm-!”

-Who shoves things on the floor into their mouth-

“This is tasty-“

“Jack!”

“Care to try some Madam?”

“If you get _sick-“_ I threaten-

“I’ll be _fine”._

He grins-

“I’ve been through worse-“

“I’ll bet you have”, I say in deadpan.

“. . .Yup!”

.....

An idiot.

After the ground is clear, we can inspect the portrait.

Pink glitter is caught in the grain-

“Who’s this?” Harkness asks.

“Rene...she got captured by a pair of Despair-obsessed sisters”, Alex explains.

“Hm, alright. Poor girl”.

“They had me captured too, for a time”, Delta adds.

“They did? How nervy”.

He raises an eyebrow.

“I know”.

“-Let’s not get too off-task here”, I interrupt.

“The longer we wait, the more likely we’ll be close to losing her”.

If we haven’t lost her already...

“-Right, right. You’re absolutely right”.

This...sci-fi character starts to probe the fabric canvas.

“Don’t tear anything”.

If they _are_ empathetic the other way around-

“Yeah, I don’t want to kill her on accident”, the boy says.

He’s nervous, he keeps fidgeting with the wand in his hands.

“Of course”.

“Go easy on him guys, he _just_ got here!” she protests.

“Can’t have him making new mistakes then”.

I swipe his fingers off.

I know there’s a frown on her face.

“Alex? Try it now-“

“Okay...”

He half-smiles, half-gulps.

“Here goes nothing...”

He swings the wand in a circular motion.

Magic spurts out in a loose curve, and creates another pile.

Not so large.

“Uh. . .wait, I wasn’t feeling that one-“

Neither was I.

He swings it a second time, smoother and more careful.

A spiral begins to form. . .

“You’re doing great Alex”.

“Yeah. You’ve almost made a full circle”.

-Meanwhile, I look for the outline of her face.

It’s slightly tinged with unhappiness.

The portal opens.

My eyesight’s faded in faintly, black and white.

-I can see a blot on a rectangle.

(If this were outside Fiction this wouldn’t be a problem).

“Is that an infirmary?”

-That would line up.

“We’d better hurry-“ Delta looks pale.

“Have you been there before?”

The man’s already reaching in.

“A nurse taped up my ankle”.

“-What kind of nurse?”

-Can’t be anyone good...

-He’s whipped upside the mouth with a giant syringe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't forget to remember 9/11 and the 2012 Benghazi attacks.


	45. Fight Nurse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the needle-wielding guard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Needles, being injected, death, and implied injury, and implied assault threat. Phys. violence throughout.  
> Trust problems, betrayal discussion. Jack's innuendos.

“-Kinky”.

-It’s so out-of-context, even the attacker pauses.

Alex kicks them back down through the hole.

“Sorry-!”

-They land in a splayed position.

“Ow-!!”

Unbelievable.

The pink spirals break through the veneer of empty colors.

Pressing in the nozzle, liquid smelling heavily of sedative spatters everywhere-

“Watch out”.

It could very well be half poison or an aphrodisiac.

I physically pull a chain from the floor, and loop it around the tube-

The needle extends.

Shining metal _right_ in my face---

“Pardon me”.

I’m pushed?

I land heavily, just in time to watch Jack be impaled.

He sighs.

The fluid glows that same sickly shade and empties into his flesh.

Turning _him_ pink.

...I want to laugh, but later.

-Then he collapses, choking.

Flops like a dying fish-

And lies still.

“Aww...”

Messy hair flying, the nurse’s eyes fixate on me.

“I _did_ want to play with him....but you’re alluring, too”.

No.

“-That’s illegal!”

Alex sweeps her legs from under her.

She reciprocates with a whack to the back of the head.

The plastic is hard enough to knock him down.

I stand in the meantime. . .

My shoulder is _not_ agreeing with me.

She giggles and it sounds like that bear.

“You guys are cute”.

-With a dull thud, those pink spirals go blank.

Delta stands over her, breathing shallowly.

-Crutches.

A wise decision.

  


I jump into the pit while things are quiet, and lift Rene up.

Being here has me on edge.

I hold her so that the author can take her off my hands, literally.

She doesn’t move.

I know what it is...

“Look”.

-She jumps.

“You may not trust me-and you shouldn’t-but I don’t betray people either”.

She still doesn’t move.

“Right now, you’re an ally. You have nothing to worry about”.

. . . . . .I knew it would be difficult-

“I can’t exactly hurt you at the moment, Rene needs to be taken from here”.

-She hefts the unconscious person into the Mindscape through the underarms.

We stare at each other.

I climb after.

She has the Wand-

“Uh...”

She reminds me of Alex two minutes ago.

I look to the nurse.

I’m not sure if we should keep her.

If the pink spirals have anything to do with that ‘Despair-Controlling Virus’-

I drag the needle as far away from the collapsed woman as possible.

. . . The portal shuts.

  


“-Greetings, how are you, why are you looking at me like tha-“

He revived.

-He sat up and started talking.

He’s as pink as he was when he died, and he doesn’t even know it.

“. . . .”

He smiles thoughtfully at his arms.

“I always did like candy”.

“Ugh!”

Delta rolls her eyes, but she doesn’t seem _too_ disgusted-

Alex is out cold.

Sal is out cold-

And the nurse is twitching.

“We’re going to want to break that”.

I point to the giant weapon.

“I’m on it”.

He takes a sonic device from his coat, and phases it into a hole in the ground.

-Then he brings it into reality.

Wood plugs up the stopper.

“...”

“Future-past tech”.

He winks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got inspired.


	46. All Together Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite hecticness in every conceivable direction, they're actually making something work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied restraining. PDA's? Brief language. Brief scratching, brief needle mention.

We heard footsteps coming toward us.

“Who’s there!!”

He yells-

...Alice.

“....”

She meets our eyes, but...nervously.

A long, dark shadow extends behind her.

And in 3D.

Okay-

“Who’s this?”

Looks like her...mostly.

I wait for a response.

“. . . .A...a darker side of me. I think....”

She’s got something clutched tightly in her fist.

I can’t see what it is.

“She said she could help me go outside-“

“What brought that on?”

My ally doesn’t buy it.

“. . . .If...it’s not bad out there-“

And then I get it.

“She’s testing whether or not Emmy lied”, I whisper.

“Oh...”

He grins evilly.

“Lucky for you, we’ve also got a way back”.

-Well, at least we have Rene again.

Albeit comatose.

And...

Some guy, and-

Tsumiki Mikan.

An upperclassman I haven’t seen in years.

She’s up, currently making out with Jack.

Alex is mildly intrigued.

Delta is snickering.

“-Rent a room”.

That’s the third response.

“I love _you_ more honey-bun!” she tells him with a flushed face.

“No, I love _you,_ princess!”

Then they smooch.

_“Rent a room”._

Yeah...

Okay.

That solves that issue....whatever it was-

-Why do we have a wooden syringe?

“What the h*”.

At Vero’s words, everyone but the couple looks over.

“....We found Rene”.

Alex’s smile is just a rictus.

There’s a puddle of pink goop.

“. . . Are you sure that’s all you did?”

After Morivin is done herding Jackan out of the room (and range), we gather around her...

Destroyed frame.

“Sorry Alice”, Alex winces-

“....??”

She scratches at her head.

“Why is it wet-“

“-You’re not feeling odd? Foggy-“

“No.....?”

_She can’t get anymore foggy than she already is._

Morivin relaxes.

“-Why is it so wonderful and horrible that you’re right?”

“.....”

She rubs her scalp more.

“We’re gonna need to clean that-“

As soon as I speak:

Supplies with ‘Pink Remover’ stamped on them, flood into the room.

Along with sets of clean clothes.

Eleven sets.

There are eleven of us.

“That donor’s at it again”, Vero exclaims-

“What donor?”

Alex and Morivin both look confused.

. . . .

Delta has nothing to say about this?

“That’s...are they nice?” Alice asks.

“They’ve been helping us so far...”

The Shadow Beast crouches, and pops open one of the supply containers.

A suction.

I shrug.

“We’ll figure that out later”.

I nod toward the destroyed portrait.

“We have to send Alice and her...shadow into her body”.

“I remember being unable to move-“

She shudders.

“It was cold, and I couldn’t breathe, and it was _bad-“_

“Side effects”.

I sigh.

“The more we tried to help you-“  
“The worse it got”, he finishes.

“..........”

She shuffles in place anxiously.

“We had to resort to a drastic measure to finally snap you from it”, I add, “That’s where the cold came in”.

“......Oh”.

“So? What next?”

Our green-eyed friend gets straight to the point-

Alice swallows.

Steps up to the pink-coated frame.

“Well. . .”

She gulps in a breath.

“If I won’t be strapped down...I think I-we.....should return”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, maybe they'll be good for each other.


	47. Sept. 12th, 2020, Sat.: Frozen Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied straitjacket, restraints, undercover manipulative behavior, brainwashing. Self-blame. Nakedness mention.

“I’m glad you’re ready”.

The purple-haired lady smiles at me.

“You have powers.

Just don’t suddenly forget them, and you’ll be fine”.

“Power?”

I remember the blue flicker-

I hold up my hands.

“Fire?”

“Not just fire”.

“What?”

“...It has to do with dreams, but I’m not the knowledgeable one on the subject”.

“...”

“-You could always pretend that the brainwashing worked, and _then_ sneak out”.

I don’t know what to tell the man with the goggles-

“-I don’t think it’s brainwashing...”

“If Emmy’s a liar, then it is”.

-Another man in a hoodie has been scrounging through the pile of stuff that appeared.

“Nothing's going to happen if you don’t go through the portrait”, the green, elf-looking person bluntly states.

A curly-haired woman cranes her neck to see around them-

“Alice!?”

“Huh-“

How does she know me-

“Where did you go!? What's in that tree-"

“What do you mean-“

I don’t know her-

“Someone’s been playing with her head?” the goggles man guesses-

“Of course...”

Her voice fades into a mutter.

_-Does that happen often?_

I shudder.

Then step up to the portrait.

The giant hole...

I gaze at it for a long moment...

I look at all of them.

-I even look back down the hallway where the two lovebirds went.

_It’s okay._

_You’re not alone in this._

I nod.

I shore up my courage.

I slip one leg through the pitch-dark.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I don’t fall.

I just sink...wake up?

Emmy’s pulling off the cracked screen, and removing the objects in my ears.

Removing the barrier on my teeth-

I blink the ice crystals off of my lashes.

“-You poor dear!”

The pillows get shuffled around.

I feel air rush my neck.

The bear arms are loosened, and I shiver.

She scoops me up, then stands me up.

Looking into my eyes.

I stare back.

I realize that my elbows are numb.

“You’re so cold...”

“S-Something-m-must-h-have-“

I can’t feel my tongue.

“We’ll have to warm you up at once”.

I nod...

At the back of my mind, there’s nudging.

_The shadow. . ._

It’s not...safe.

Yet.

The whole room is full of beds, and teddies.

Some tea sets lie around.

Racks of other things, is that where they took the gadgets from?

She, and a whole bunch of her followers help me along, it feels like ages since I’ve walked.

A girl in glasses whispers to a bear of her own.

Her eyes are glazed.

. . . . .

_Is that what happened to me?_

**_Yes._ **

****

I jump, despite myself-

“Everything alright?”

She sounds so nice.

The marching stops in unison.

“Just-a chill-“

I shiver again, as if to prove that’s what it really was.

She pats my shoulder.

“We’ll have it sorted out soon”.

Door unlocking.

A golden hallway-

The nervousness amplifies.

-At least if I screw up here...

I’ll have somewhere to run.

Or fight.

....

Do I have to fight?

_I hope not..._

They keep me crowded until we reach a new area.

“The spa?”

_How do I know that?_

**_Because you think you’ve been here for years._ **

****

On the inside, I am floored.

-Well, not literally...

The air in here is so thick-

Behind a privacy screen, the jacket’s peeled off.

My arms spring free.

-!??

_Mittens-_

“What are those for?” I ask-

“You were quite hysterical when first brought in”.

“Can I have them undone?”

An emotion simmers beneath the contentment I _should_ be embracing here...

“I just want to go right to sleep after this...”

_What did I do..._

I assume I must’ve done a bad thing to land with mittens, and a straining coat, and a-

“The water will get them soaked-“

“Hmm”.

She considers, and while she does that, I peek around the latticework.

_Why are they all in front of the door?_

What do they expect?

“Perhaps for a little bit longer”.

She pats my arm.

“Okay”.

I wonder if I’m being peppy enough.

“-And don’t you worry, dear”.

“About what?”

“I’ll cast an invisibility spell so no one will see you without your clothes”.

-I push her ** _violently_** and jump into the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can this end well?


	48. Underwater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to be un-cornered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Slight blood. Claustrophobia/enclosed space. Hydrophobia.

_Why did I do that._

Bubbles rise up past my nose, and I cough.

-And then I cough more because I swallowed water.

_Why did I do that-!??_

That _wasn’t_ what I wanted to accomplish-

  


**_My fault._ **

_What?_

How-

  


**_I’m connected to your Fight Or Flight response._ **

_..._

So _what does that mean-_

**_You have a potent fear of doing..._ ** **that _, in front of strangers._**

_But I know Emmy-_

**_Do you?_ **

****

The rose petal.

I can’t check for it now-

Robed silhouettes line the edge of the pool.

Are they going to jump in?

-The water is so warm-!!

My clothes billow.

Stay or swim deeper.

What should I do-

White high heels.

Distorted outline peering in.

A shiver runs down my back.

If she reaches, I...don’t know.

I can’t read her face, it’s impossible to see due to my treading.

-She would understand it, right?

. . . . .

The mitten-gloves clump to my hands.

It’s not very pleasant.

  


**_The drain._ **

****

I squint-

  


**_The water must come from somewhere-_ **

****

Yes, it must.

.....What if I’m not strong enough to lift it?

  


**_Adrenaline._ **

****

I kick to the bottom of the deep end.

-Which isn’t that deep, but it has vents.

Bird tracing gleams in gold.

My feathers get in my sight, and block my direction.

I tug at the soaked fabric until I can struggle it above me.

-I have a regular set of threads on underneath, thank goodness.

-My speed scares me.

I accidentally clunk my knees.

That’s going to hurt later-

I frantically try to claw up the thin cork.

I’m running out of breath.

Black spots sit at the edges of my blurry eyesight.

A hand is on my shoulder.

I panic, and rip it from its setting.

It flies from beneath the waves and breaks to the surface.

  


Nothing happens.

  


- ** _Hideous_** bird screech pierces the air, and I’m swallowed by an angry rushing tide.

I swish through a pipe of solid rock, narrow and claustrophobia-inducing.

I sputter-!!!

I’m spit out.

I splash into the depths.

I have no idea where I am.

But.

It.

Is.

_Frigid._

I try to re-orient myself...

Where’s land!?

My eyes are _stinging_ in pain---

The top of my hand scrapes across a harsh material, and I wince.

Blood in the water. . .

It floats.

I fumble for purchase, plant my heel on the wall.

I launch in the scarlet trail.

  


Stalactites greet my vision, and I _gasp._

Roots entwine and creep into the basin.

I’m-

 _Under_ the tree-!??

_Wow..._

**_Nice work._ **

****

A hint of...pride?

  


**_All we have to do is walk into the Outside World._ **

****

...She is _definitely_ looking forward to this.

As for me, I'm excited and terrified at the same time.

  


The Moment of Truth could be coming for us soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray! I made it- TuT


	49. Sept. 13th, 2020, Sun.: Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to find the outside world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Blood, injury. Narrow space. Mentioned self-doubt.

I don’t find the exit immediately-

But there _has_ to be one.

Otherwise, how would they have been able to rig a system that sophisticated.....

I paddle my tired self to an edge, and haul me along it.

My muscles ache.

That’s what I get from tumbling through that slide-

I crawl onto a narrow shelf.

My eyes are still adjusting to the darkness.

Anticipation runs through my veins.

I _really_ want to see what’s out there.

(Even though a part of me is afraid that by doing so, I’ll be letting everyone else down).

I feel for any openings.

Anything I can use to hoist me up further.

-I eventually hit a crack.

A small crack, but it’s grippable, so we’re good.

I try to brace my foot against the rock, and get a better view.

I accidentally lose my momentum, and splash back into the water.

“-!!”

I sputter, and hoist myself up there again.

The second time, I don’t fall as far, but I do make a nasty tear on my knee.

“Ow-“

-The third time, I push myself over.

It’s an uphill slope, kinda...

Very rough.

I wince as I caterpillar my way toward the tiny light at the end, soaking wet shoes searching for constant purchase.

Moss.

I start to spot it growing on the tunnel walls.

The fuzz just barely grazes my cheek.

I flail my hand into the unknown.

-A breeze hits it, and I jump.

Nearly falling back down-

I hurriedly kick over the lip, and flop onto the grass.

“. . . . . .”

I lift my head.

Trees.

It looks...forbidding, actually.

But I already came so far...

If I went home now, I’d never make it here ever again.

I swallow.

I get to my feet.

I’m searching for the petal in my pockets.....

-It’s gone.

_What!?_

Did the water-

I scrabble harder--

**_Look._ **

**_Your sleeve-_ **

****

I do.

Some of the color’s trailed on my arm, but-

**_You’re welcome._ **

****

I could _cry._

_Thank you..._

My knee bleeds, and it hurts, but it could be worse.

I think I bruised my elbow at some point, too.

Despite them, I walk into the forest.

_There must be more of those flowers somewhere._

If I see them, I’m not sure what I’ll do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Off we go...


	50. opposing Forces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Envy and Mystic conflict-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brainwashing, phys./yelling. Language. Blaming. Self-deprecation.

_I stumble, vines receding._

_She pushes me to the ground-_

_"What the hell?!? I thought we came to an understanding!"_

That was something else, wasn't it?

_. . . . . I feel my heart beat-_

_I take a few minutes to calm down._

_"This is putting people in danger. I have to put an end to it"._

_"You're not doing s*! This is the second time we've had to have this conversation!"_

_"She's being brainwashed!"_

You can't be okay with _that,_ can you!?

_"How is that_ my _fault?"_

_"If you hadn't let the Cursed God in---"_

_"How was I supposed to know any of this would happen?"_

-Maybe don't trust strangers.

_"You're the one who started this! It's your fault!"_

If not you, then the Narrator.

_"You think I don't know that?!?!!"_

_I know she knows._

_That's not the problem here._

_My ears are ringing, it's gotten so loud._

_"You think that that thought doesn't taunt me in the back of my mind every waking second?! You think I enjoy watching my friends die?!_

_You think I like the fact that Alice is getting brainwashed?!_

_You know, you're always thinking about her._

_Alice this, Alice that. Alice, Alice, Alice! That's all that comes out of your mouth!_

_What about everyone else? What about me? What about Ivy? You know, your own sister?"_

_..._

_"I......"_

_"Without this story, would you two have been reunited?"_

_........_

_"P-Probably not", I gulp..._

_The promise I made echoes at the back of my mind._

_I didn't realize I sounded so obsessed-_

_She bows her head._

_"Look, I'm sorry that this story is putting people in danger, okay? I'll be the first to admit that I hate seeing people I care about in danger like this._

_But I'll also be the first to admit that there are some things about it that I enjoy. I like feeling like what I do actually matters for once. I like feeling like I can be the hero._

_I_ _n the real world, none of what I do matters. But here, my decisions have a big impact._

_How the h* am I supposed to just give that up?"_

_"That's a toxic mindset to have, and your actions are toxic"._

_I almost_ forgot _about him-!!!!_

_"At least from what I've heard"._

Michael noooo-

_"I know, I know._

_My actions have been toxic and they'll probably be toxic again at some point, and I'm not proud of that._

_I've been putting my emotions and my self-worth into the hands of others and making them feel responsible for my happiness,_

_I've been leading people on,_

_I've been running away and making them come find me,_

_and I'm kinda just an a*h*e overall"._

_"That....last one's really a bit of a stretch", I say-_

_"Huh?"_

_She looks up._

_I sigh._

_"You're not a butthole. You're hurt. We're both hurt. And hurt people hurt people._

_It doesn't excuse the toxic things you've done, but it doesn't mean you're a jerk. It just means you need to work on yourself._

_I get that with all of what's going on, however, you might not necessarily have the time to do that"._

_"I know, I know"._

_-Roaring interrupts!?_

_I look for the disturbance, a giant ball of pink magic headed_ right _for us!!_

_"Duck!"_

_I hear Mystic yell-_

_I get low._

_Michael does not-_

_* <3 *_

_Huh._

_Glitter's not so bad-_

_"Oh....f*...."_

_-Eh?_

_....Ah, lovely pink floating around me......_

_"Am...am I getting infected?!"_

I don't know, Miss Mystic, seems fine to me.

_Envy shakes his head._

_"Still just Alice, but now that Michael's infected too, it's gonna take much longer to get this out of her mind"._

Infected?

With what-

_"Okay, okay. I should wake up any second now. We've got Alison here as backup, and there's a chance we can seal them away forever"._

_"They? Who's they?"_

_The Plant Boi is confused-_

_She starts to fade._

_"Sorry, can't talk, waking up"._

_Hmm?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael's gonna be on a sugar high-


	51. Sept. 14th, 2020, Mon.: Lull ...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the Future...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brainwashing mention.

_After Mystic disappeared back to the past, the first thing Michael says to me is:_

_“What am I infected with?”_

_“Oh...”_

_I have no idea, but it can’t be good-_

_“Something...sweet-related?”_

_Probably._

_“Feels nice”._

_He fluffs out his cloak._

_I feel weird-_

The half-smirk looked more natural than this.

_He’s floating around like he’s a kid, with his hands behind him._

_-I’m glad he’s not dead, but..._

How to deal with that!?

_I quickly open a portal._

_I don’t want to find out what he could do left on his own._

_“Michael...”_

_“Yes?”_

_IIIII-_

_“. . . . . .Um. You want to go on a trip?”_

_Somehow we end up in a world full of rubber everything, and he flies off to do whatever._

_He can’t get hurt here, I hope...._

_If the past briefly merged with the future, would it affect her now?_

_I’m not sure._

_Maybe it won’t._

_Because. . . ._

_Because of what I did._

_But Past Alice-_

_I guess they’ve got it handled._

_Or somebody does._

_Either way-_

_All I really need to worry about is him._

_To that end, I wait around for some time, and then I set off._

_I climb up a big block using my vines._

_He’s lying down, seeming relaxed._

_.....I don’t know what to do-_

_“Hi”._

_I decide to just go for it._

_“What are you doing?”_

_“Napping”._

_Oops..._

_“Are you still feeling okay?”_

_“Kinda tired”._

_“....Right”._

_I sit down, cross-legged._

_“And nothing’s changed?”_

_“Like what?”_

_............................._

_Maybe I should drop it._

_He’s more relaxed now than he’s ever been._

_Which leads me to that other dilemma._

_I don’t know if it’s worth trying to...make sure none of it ever happened, or not._

_On the one hand, Alice would lose her body again._

_On the other...._

_Alice wouldn’t be erased, Michael wouldn’t be fearing for his life or brainwashed, Mystic wouldn’t be hurt, and Ivy. . . ._

_I_ really _don’t know what’s going on where we left them now._

_She must be worried sick..._

_I don’t have that power myself, I’d have to find someone who could._

_......But if I did that. . . . . ._

_Would anything change, or would anyone remember?_

_....._

_It's not healthy to go on like this, though._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chilling.


	52. Sept. 15th, 2020, Tues.: Impression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Speaking of Alice...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Food, eating. Worry of death. Paranoia.

I listen for noises.

It’s late.

I glance around me-

Unbroken, dark, dark green.

Anything could be lurking in it...

I keep walking, though.

I have to.

. . .

I don’t have to...

But if I want to know-

Then I do.

As simple as that.

I ran into a berry patch.

Blackberries.

I picked a few, curious.

They tasted cold, but sweet.

I knew we didn’t exist on light and air in the Tree-

Well, at least some of us.

They must use magic to bring these treats in.

. . .Is nature a bad thing to them?

They always said the Outside World was _horrible._

Maybe they only meant the people.

Whom I haven’t seen yet-

I’ll find the flowers, and then maybe I’ll understand.

So I continue on with the wandering because if I go in a straight line, I won’t get lost, right?

That’d be awful!

It’d wreck everything!!

Worst, would be if I aimed myself back around in a circle.

_I’ll just start out again if I did._

I can’t get it wrong forever.

I start rubbing my arms from the cold.

They must have a sophisticated heating system there, too.

I shiver-

_Hope it won’t turn colder. . ._

I don’t want to die of hypothermia.

I hurry up my pace.

Eventually,

I think I see something.

I squint-

_What is that?_

A...looming shape?

-For a minute, I think it’s a person and the **fear** burns within me.

My fingertips softly glow.

“. . . .?”

It doesn’t...hurt me......?

_**No, because it's yours.** _

_..._

I really can’t tell what that is.

I decide to approach unseen.

There are bushes bordering. . .

_Don’t trip, don’t trip-!_

_Don’t rustle-_

I _try_ to avoid branches in my rush, I am _not_ so sure that I succeed.

Oh.

It’s a fountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like blackberries.


	53. Opaque

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night is coming, and Envy is finding it hard to cope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Nyctophobia, watching, panic. Implied murder/death.

It’s getting toward twilight.

The more the sun inched away, the more nervous I got-

I’ve never liked the dark...

There’s always.... _things_ in it-!!!

And we still-

Two others...have to-

Just the thought of-doing something like _that-_ while it’s like _this-_

I can’t-breathe. .. ...

“Hang in there, dude”, Candy Pop says from somewhere.

It feels like it’s coming from a thousand miles away.

“Can we just get it over with already”.

-I don’t think anyone hears.

Why would they?

The gloom swallows all sound.

It’s the hazard of the hour.

I shiver-

And... then I can’t stop.

I wait for Montana to come back............

_Where_ did _they go?_

_Are they okay?_

_Are they stuck somewhere!?_

_What if something_ else _lives in these woods, and it---_

“. . .Does someone have a light?”

_Should we go after them-_

“Candy Pop?”

“Yeah?”

I jump-

“What”.

“. . .”

I try _not_ to think of what could be staring at us unseen right now.

“...Nothing”.

........If I make waves, I’ll probably just get yelled at.

And it will probably be by the Beauty Trio.

-Okay, but I really _am_ getting worried, though...

My skin is _crawling,_ I can’t sit still-

I stand up.

My eyes glow-

The brief green light on my hand sends my heart racing again.

I’m scared. . .

It’d be _worse_ if I was alone.

“What are you doing?”

C.P.-

“I don’t know”.

I don’t know-

My eyes meet someone’s.

They promptly run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's starting-


	54. Transparent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For a moment's worth of quiet, Kirigiri does some investigating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally get a break-
> 
> Cw: Blood, needles.

Nothing left to do now, but wait.

...Alex tends to Delta.

Morivin takes a syringe from one of the kits, and uses it on Rene.

Blood fills it in about a minute.

He’s clearly had practice.

Vero hangs by Sal.

He still hasn’t woken up yet.

...I don’t know where Captain Harkness and Tsumiki-san are, and I’m going to avoid speculating.

I don’t move far.

...

I turn on a screen we used when preparing for Dawn and Benny’s rescue.

There’s a hunch.

I look for stories.

Despite Alice being gone, there’s an oddly-persistent chapter fic called ‘Past-Future Diary’ continuing to update.

Why.

I read it.

Word for word, our mysterious donor’s contributions are laid out bare.

But how.

When I get to the end, I click:

‘Comments’.

_*Giggles and sends supplies to help return Jack's skin to normal, along with clean clothes for everyone.*_

I see.

-

“Hey".

I bring the evidence over.

"Does this look familiar to you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp...


	55. Sept. 16th, 2020, Weds.: A Flicker Of Familiarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Envy gathers his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Being bitey, implied chomp marks. Brief language.

“Wh-“

I could’ve sworn--!!

“What’s up?”

It comes _right_ at my side---

I jump.

“C.P.--!??”

“Yeah?”

. . .I take a few breaths to calm myself.

“You scared me”.

“What the h* is there to be scared of?”

I stare at him.

“. . .Right now”.

“I thought I saw-“

“Saw who?”

I deliberate for a moment-

“Alice”.

“What!??”

I clamp a hand over his mouth before he can alert the entire party.

“Not so loud-!! She might run again-“

“Le’ go-!!”

His teeth bite into my glove-

“Ow-“

I quickly withdraw my limb.

“Since when was I a chew toy!?”

“I like talking, okay!?”

“. . .I can see that”.

I rub the sore spot on my arm.

_Here’s hoping I don’t have_ marks.

I sigh.

“You up for an expedition?”

“Yeah-this place is a snore”.

........I could respond to that, but I decide not to.

“Very well then...”

I gently push aside the bushes in our way.

“But you’re gonna have to _not_ talk”.

“Aw, you’ve got to joking-“

“She looked like a _frightened deer,_ Candy Pop”.

“....Her? That’s a laugh-“

But he does get a bit worried.

I can see it in his eyes.

It’s out-of-character-

_What_ happened _in that tree?_

I start off.

_Don’t tell me it’s-_

I feel myself tense at the very thought.

_Not again..._

I close my eyes, and try to track her Dream Trail.

...?

Why is it split in half-?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Off they go.


	56. Sept. 17th, 2020, Thurs.: The Donor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have finally been found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Memory manipulation, feeling abandoned.

"Well...", she admits, "Guess I've been caught".

I shut the screen.

"According to your new work, there's a part of you that _isn't_ a part of this reality".

She nods.

"Would this be true for everyone except Alice".

"Um...I think so?"

"...And that's how you've been giving us these packages specifically tailored to our needs".

"Yes".

"Why?"

"...Because I wanted to help..."

-But I feel like there's more.

"No one else was coming, were they?"

Gentleness is _not_ my strong suit.

I try to tone it down slightly, though...

"Probably not..." she mumbles.

_......I see._

-Something flashes on her neck.

"What's that?"

She looks confused for a second, then follows my eyes.

She goes pale.

"Oh no..."

"What is it?"

"She said if I escaped, it'd go off and erase all my memories-!!"

"Who did?"

Although I think I have a pretty good idea-

"Junko...!"

She starts to shiver.

"It won't affect you because you didn't escape", Morivin speaks up, "We took you ourselves".

"How-"

"Ears".

She shudders.

"He's right", I say, "But we should work on getting that collar off of you as soon as possible".

"No-!"

She shakes her head.

"That might trigger it!"

"Then we'll make a potion to restore your memories and you can drink that after", comes our resident scientist's response.

-She still doesn't seem sure-

"Ah, geez..."

Vero stands up.

"Just use the wand on it".

"-Hey yeah!"

Alex beams in eureka.

He waves it-

The collar turns into a roll of licorice.

"Yes!!" he cheers.

Delta tears it from around her throat, and throws it as far away from her as she possibly can.

". . ."

I tuck the screen under my arm.

"I'm going to go check on Naegi".

"Good idea", Vero mutters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a loose end tied up.


	57. Sept. 18th, 2020, Fri.: A Request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Envy finds out a slight snag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied memory manipulation.

“Hello?”

I try not to make too much noise...

“Alice?”

I trail her to a curtain of hanging ivy.

“It’s okay-“

I slide it out of the way.

“She’s a no-show-“ C.P. says.

“...”

I pass through.

“You don’t have to hide”.

-She’s already behind a big stump.

I can’t understand what she’s doing-

“What happened?”

“-Was that the Flash?” is C.P.’s comment.

“. . .”

I think for a minute.

_There’s no way she’s leading us on._

Or anywhere.

It’s just not like her.

_So what is it-_

“Is something wrong?”

I grow a vine from the ground, send it curling slowly after her.

She stops running.

In fact-  
She seems almost-

Curious?

“You remember us, right?”

-A new thought strikes me.

What if-

“I’m Envy, this is Candy Pop-?”

She glances over.

She _doesn’t know us._

I am unable to speak for a good ten minutes.

“Oh...crap”, C.P. echoes.

_She was **brainwashed.**_

That’s the only, possible explanation.

_Again-_

It’s what I feared.

I gulp.

“Alice. . .?”

She pokes at the vine.

She seems to be...rummaging for something?

I see her bring her hand up.

I don’t know what she’s holding....

She looks from it, back to the vine, and then back to...it.

“. . .”

Then she looks up at me.

-When she realizes I’m looking, she averts her eyes.

_Why._

What’s she thinking?

“This is getting awkward-“ C.P. remarks.

She jumps slightly.

“It’s okay”, I reassure, for the second time.

“We’re both nice, okay?”

“I’m not”.

“-For the next _hour,_ can you please be nice?” I whisper under my breath.

“I’m just saying-“

I sigh.

“Don’t mind him...he’s very sarcastic”.

“So are _you,_ sometimes-“

“.....Yes, but not right now”.

She gives us both a stare.

I try to calm it down......

“The point is, you’re safe with us”.

She tilts her head.

“Really”.

_-I don’t think I would believe me, though...._

-I hastily quiet the voice.

_What else is there to do?_

“. . .”

I wait, painfully-

“...You grow things?”

She sounds hoarse.

“Yes”.

She doesn’t come any closer, but-

“Roses?”

“Yeah...sometimes?”

_What-_

She walks right over.

I’m startled, and I almost trip on flat ground-!?

“Can you take me to them?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am reminded too much of Tangled for this.


	58. Sept. 19th, 2020, Sat.: Stand Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How is Naegi-san doing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brief language, and that's it.

“Hey. . .Makoto”.

I know he can’t hear me.

He’s standing calmly now, but his eyes are blank.

Staring at nothing.

“...You okay?”

I touch his arm.

He seems to sag in place.

“. . .”

I look out through the Mirror.

He’s standing in a grassy clearing, in the moonlight.

His posture is pure tiredness with the hunched shoulders, and bent knees.

Whatever went on while we were gone, it must’ve taken one h* of a toll.

“If you want to, you can always come back”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor guy...


	59. Sept. 20th, 2020, Sun.: Roses And Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really, really want to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied manipulation?

“What?”

-I was _not_ expecting that.

“You want me to-?”

“Show me these flowers”.

She holds up the object I couldn’t see-

C.P. sneezes right at that moment, and it flies away!

“...Sorry....”

Even _he_ looks upset.

“It-“

Alice’s eyes have grown _wide._

“Oh no. . .”

“I-It’s okay-!”

I quickly launch a vine after the runaway. . .what _is_ that?

It misses.

-For an instant, I think I see a shadow with a bluish glow snatch it back.

I blink, and it’s like it was never there.

She seems to relax at any rate, so.....

“I want to see roses”.

-My heart _thumps._

“Wh-“

“Roses?”

Candy Pop’s voice is confused-

“Emmy. . .says the Outside World is bad”.

“Who is Emmy?”

I’ve never heard of-

“She lives in a Tree, and she’s very nice to us”.

“A tree?”

-Candy Pop and I exchange glances.

So _that’s_ the secret!

“Why does she say that?”

I have a sneaking suspicion I already know, but-

“She doesn’t want us to leave”.

“. . .Who else is there?”

She doesn’t say...

But I’m willing to bet that whatever’s going on over there, that woman’s inventing excuses to keep Mystic all to herself.

“But you left, though...” I try instead-

“I was curious”.

“Hah, that’s on brand-“ the Demon snorts.

“She’ll be mad-“

“What if she’s wrong?”

I have to keep talking-

“It _is_ dangerous, but some of it is wonderful, too”.

“....Like the roses.....the flowers-“

Her eyes meet mine.

“If you take me, and she’s wrong....I heard it was-a lie-“

“From who?”

“. . . .People”.

-Does she mean-?

But I’m not sure, and I have no proof.

“A lie?”

“Because she can’t control me. . .”

“That _also_ sounds on-brand”, C.P. sniffs.

“They said-“

But she stops.

“Do you know where they are?”

I smile.

“Well...”

I open my hand:

I grow a bright-red flower right there in the center of my palm.

Her jaw _drops._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like flowers.


	60. Sept. 21st, 2020, Mon.: Bloodwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're working on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Blood. Mention of labs, and testing.

“-I need a place to test this”.

“Test what-“

I look up from my conversation with Delta.

I see the tube, and my gut reaction is to ‘eew’-

“What is that!?”

“Rene’s blood”.

He says it like it’s nothing that...special?

“I drew some. I need to analyze its properties if we’re going to cure her”.

“. . .Okay....”

_Kinda wish Kirigiri-san hadn’t left-_

I try to smile, anyway.

“There’s no place to test in here?”

“...I _could-“_

I smell a ‘but’-

“But I would fry her brain”.

“. . . .Yeah, that wouldn’t be good-“

I snicker nervously.

“Maybe...”

“Have an idea?”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“SAE Lab?”

I’m not sure I like _his_ smile.

“-They’ would _never_ let me in”.

“-Then I could do it”.

I offered that.

Yup.

An eyebrow raise.

Yup. . .

I said what I said. . . . . .

“I would go back to where I live, but I have sensitive materials, and I don’t want to invite disaster should someone _else_ storm around searching for them”.

A gesture toward the two we brought in.

“........Fair”.

But?

-Now I’m the one doing it.

“If you bring it to the SAE, they might be invaded also”.

“Or maybe not”.

I shrug.

“Worth a try, isn’t it? They won’t refuse me-“

“. . .”

I’m scanned-

“-I’m not sure you should be left alone”.

“Even if it’s just James?”

“I smelled something odd over there”.

. . . . . Knowing his backstory, that worries me.

“Okay...so shall we go?”

“Shall we?”

“-You have the Wand-“ Vero interjects.

“Oh. Right”.

But...

I don’t want to leave Delta up here alone-

“Bring her too”, Morivin adds, “We physically lifted her out, it won’t be a problem”.

“Well...”

She looks like the _last_ place she wants to be is with a Demon-like being.

“She’d see Dawn and Benny again”.

“True-“

Maybe then, things would get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cure search time-


	61. Sept. 22nd, 2020, Tues.: Growing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Envy just grew a plant in his hand. What do I do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wholesome happy time!

“You-! You can-!?”

I can’t believe it.

I saw that.

I did-!!

“You can grow flowers!??”

“Yeah, that’s what he does-“

His odd friend says-

“They’re so pretty. . .”

I’m too afraid to reach out and touch it, though...

“They are”.

.....

........For someone from the Outside World...

He sure seems to really love the rose in his hand.....

“Are they out here somewhere, too?”

“I think so”.

He smiles.

“They might even be in these woods somewhere, I’d suspect”.

“....How do you know?”

“These things just tend to conveniently happen whenever they’re needed-“ the friend speaks up.

“True-“ he adds-

“I want to see them”.

I gulp.

“I want to-“

. . . . . . . . . . .

“Want to what?”

It’s the friend...

“....What are your names?”

“Envy”.

“C.P.”

“.....”

I don’t know...

“-I’m up for a walk”, Envy tells us.

“-Ohh”.

C.P.?

_What are they up to?_

**_You’ll see._ **

****

“Yeah, I’m up for a walk, too”.

They both look at me.

It’s. . .lighter than last time? Though?

“Want to come with us?”

-Something about the taller of them-

 _Gets_ me.

_Huh!??_

_Wait-_

_What’s that-_

“Yes-“

“Cool”.

C.P. grins like a cat-

“I think I smelled a fragrance this way. . .”

Envy starts to head through the trees.

“-! Don’t leave me behind-!”

I scurry to catch up, wondering what in the heck just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're off on a trip, and we need our rocket ship-


	62. Sept. 23rd, 2020, Weds.: downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, in the Future...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brainwashing mentions.

_Michael eventually wakes up._

_“Are you still okay?” I ask-_

_“Yeah”._

_He sits up, blinking and rubbing his eyes._

_“I kinda feel better. Isn’t that weird?”_

_“It might be-“_

_But I stop._

_“It’s probably the rest”._

_No reason to make him freaked out all over again. . ._

_“Cool”._

_He looks at me for a minute, as if he’s trying to decipher something-_

It can’t be. . .

Does he suspect-?

_His own brainwashing?  
The truth of it..._

_I am unsure......_

_“A-anyway-“_

_I stand._

_“If you’re feeling alright-“_

_“I could spend a little more time here”._

_...I nod......_

_Why do I feel like I’m the one who’s been fooled?_

_But how-_

_“Sure. . . . .we could do that”._

_And so I end up sitting back down._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just relaxin'.


	63. Sept. 24th, 2020, Thurs.: michael

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brainwashing, panic mention.

_The way he talks just makes me that more certain I’ve been brainwashed._

_Walking on eggshells, geez..._

_Anyone could tell that something was wrong with the constant evading going on-_

_But it’s either the blissful calm, or the ever-present panicking._

_I’d rather be calm._

_Even if it’s simulated..._

_I think better that way._

_Not that I have any reason to do that now..._

_I could hate it, but how would that help?_

_It wouldn't._

_I don't even know how to undo it._

_I stare up at the light._

_It_ was _a nice nap._

_I sneak a look over at the plant guy._

_He’s thinking things._

_I don’t know what._

_I don’t need to know._

_I just need to relax more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Purple Boi.


	64. Sept. 25th, 2020, Fri.: to be brainwashed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What are Envy's final thoughts?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brainwashing mentions.

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

_It kind-of scares me a little, honestly..._

_That someone could change like that so easily under an influence._

_And be perfectly fine._

_If it were me, I think I’d be_ sick.

_But. . ._

_I guess it cuts out other unpleasant things._

_Memories, what-have-you..._

_The problem with that, is, if you don't remember, you're doomed to repeat it._

_Also..._

_What's the focus on being sweet all the time?_

Not _in the 'nice-to-everyone-' way._

_The way in which you get easily controlled._

_..._

_A doormat?_

_Is that what I'm thinking of?_

_Anyway..._

_I wish more of us knew how to defeat it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor boi...


	65. Sept. 26th, 2020, Sat.: Another Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost ready...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brief mention of body horror.

-Something iron clattered.

Alex jumped-

Morivin just nonchalantly hauled it back up under his arm.

Whatever it was. . .

“The heck was that?”

Vero had apparently seen something-

“Just a kit”.

As if it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

He shrugged.

“You’d be surprised at how many spontaneously show up these days”.

. . .Somehow, Alex felt like there was a story in there.

"-Where _were_ you for so long, anyway?" the other Pasta asked.

"When we're not rushing around like chickens with our heads cut off, I'll tell you".

-The Aviator caught a flash of lid.

_Huh? That doesn't match his name._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Mindscape folks are back, hehe.


	66. Sept. 27th, 2020, Sun.: A Changing Of Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morivin goes off to cure Rene on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meta time.

Lucky thing.

He soon forgot.

“I really think we ought to wait until we see what Mystic writes next”.

-That’d be enough to throw off anyone, you see...

“Are you sure”.

Of course, I had a feeling that wasn’t the wisest decision....

However.

“Yes, I’m very sure”.

“-That’s what you want?”

She gives me a tired look.

“Yes, that’s what I want”.

-That’s all I would need to hear.

“Very well then”.

I send Vero a look-

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take care of them and all that..."

He'd better.

"Open a portal, won't you?"

I don't think...the SAE will be expecting me.

Twice.

I sigh at the prospect-

"I will see what can be done with this".

"Good luck", Alex murmurs.

"Thank you".

One swooshing of candy sparkles later, and I am very much _not_ looking forward to seeing James again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor James.


	67. Hello Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The SAE is in for another visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Fear of being captured/containment. Threat.

“Back again?”

  


_-Where did those handcuffs go._

_I need to know-_

I feel my nerves prickle.

Those are _not_ going on me.

  


“Where is Alex?”

“Resting”.

  


I don’t say anymore.

  


“May I borrow your lab”.

“No”.

“-I knew you would say that”.

  


I hate what I have to do now, but-

  


“I suppose you can tag along-“

“’Tag along’?”

“Yes”.

  


I sniff.

  


“We’re trying to cure a Despair disease”.

“-Should I-?”

  


“No”, I snap at them.

I see those chains, dangling off your belt-!

  


“Don’t you dare”.

“Sir?”

  


I back out of range.

  


“Tell your guard to put those away”.

  


He thinks.

  


“Is _is_ usual Demon procedure-“

“You have already met me”.

  


I’m **bristling-**

  


If they threaten to lock me up, I won’t be responsible for what happens.

  


“You must have a Doctor-I want to talk to them”.

“Dr. Green?”

“I want to talk to them”.

“There’s no need to be skittish-“

  


But there _is._

I wonder if he’s ever guessed at what I know.

  


“Where are they?”

“She is down here-“

  


I start off in that direction, keeping my wits about me.

  


I don’t want to risk being trapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poor doctor-


	68. Sept. 28th, 2020, Mon.: Dr. Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the delivery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Blood.

I knock.

-Without even turning around:

“Wait your turn, please”.

She’s back to Benny and Dawn like nothing even happened.

_-She has a lot of nerve._

But I don’t want to push my luck-

Two hours later:

“Yes, can I help you?”

She goes pale as a sheet.

“-Who are you?”

“Just passing through”.

I hold out the vial.

“Is that-?”

“They’re under a Despair Virus. I was hoping tests could be run. To cure it?”

“. . .I’ll see what I can do, Mr.-?”

“…Morivin”.

And _she’s_ Dr. Green.

_-Hah, that’s ironic…_

“It may take a few days”.

“-A few days”.

Do we have a few days.

“Yes, that’s what I said”.

-I thought _I_ could be sarcastic…

“And you will let me know when it is done”.

“Are you going somewhere?”

-I don’t like that…

“Mindscape”.

Did he tell her anything.

“I see”.

“You could magically get in touch”.

“-Yes, we could”.

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I’m leaving now-_

“Thank you”.

She nods.

I try to remember how I got in this wing to begin with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you have this kind of day at work.


	69. Sept. 29th, 2020, Tues.:  Returning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He just goes back. That's it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Brief language.

-Somehow, I manage to make it back to the Portal, and back to the Mindscape.

“How’d it go?” the hood man asks, whose name I forgot.

“Few days, and we’ll know”.

Alex nods.

-I suppose it could be worse.

H* knows I’ve seen it-

I brush some hair out of my eyes.

Waiting.

I’ve done that before, often enough…

Where I was to where I am now is markedly different.

. . .I could reveal what happened, but it’s too early.

And I’ve been wondering if we should have used ‘All-Our-Powers-Combined’, to get her out like last time.

-Except we’re missing two...three....

Nevermind that-

I look at my transparent hands.

I need to fix this.

I’m not, nor have I ever been, a ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing to do with anything, this just wraps something up.


	70. Sept. 30th, 2020, Weds.: The Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, a realization is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't think of any warnings?

They walk for a while, then stop.

“-This could take hours”, Candy Pop whispers.

“Yeah, that just occurred to me too”, Envy admits-

“So what do we do?”

“Well. . .”

I see his hand light up green!?

“We could always find it like this-“

He swings it around, and colors flow-

Flash through the darkness.

Red-

My jaw drops.

“There we go”.

He smiles back at me.

“There…”

The twosome step through.

I am frozen to the spot.

Seeing the green leaves wave-

**_You can go through you know-_ **

I do know.

But I’m terrified.

If-

If it feels real. . .

I’m-

She’s-

Been a liar.

I gulp.

Tears coming to my eyes.

“It’s okay-“ Envy promises, beckoning me forward-

“The air’s nice”, Candy Pop adds.

I unglue a toe.

I have to do it.

I have to go through-

-I leap.

Velvet.

The smell-

A sweet-scented sea.

I breathe it in.

Then I touch one.

. . . . … . . ... . .

Then I break down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finishing up the Roses bit...


	71. Oct. 1st, 2020, Thurs.: The Price You Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That settles it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Mental breakdown. Manipulation discussion.

“W-What’s wrong!?”

She’s crying-

Why is she crying!?

“You okay!?”

Even Candy Pop is shocked-

“. . . . . .”

She can’t speak?

“-A lie?”

-Oh.

Two words, but they knock all the air right out of me-

“Alice. . . . .”

“Was it a lie…..?”

“Yup”.

The Demon gravely nods his head.

I want to hug her. . .

This is _awful…._

“….Some people…..do that, I guess-“

“-But-“

She’s wiping at her face, furiously-

“But-“

“She’s either being too overprotective, or she’s being shady. That’s just how it is”.

He shrugs….

“…….”

She dissolves into tears again.

I swallow…..

If I could make it better, I would….

“…..At least you know now, right?”

_-What am I even saying._

“At least you’re not where-“

I bite my tongue.

‘Where she can have you forget it’.

Should I let that slip-

It would just cause her more pain…

“Where what?”

-Crap.

I struggle to form words—

“She-“

I stop.

“I don’t think you should go back”.

_-Now where did that come from!?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sadness won't last for long.


	72. Oct. 2nd, 2020, Fri.: From Now On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What to do now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Memory manipulation disc.

Did I really say that!??

I gulp.

“If she knows that you know. . .”

She looks up at me.

“Then she might just make you forget it again”.

. ..

I really said it.

I did.

“. . . .”

“He’s got a point”, C.P. supported.

-Which I _should_ have been expecting, but. . .

It’s still a little jarring to have the Demon up on my side.

“Yeah…….”

“. . . . . .”

-She doesn’t speak.

She just nods.

…

We come back through the portal.

I sigh. . .

Time to return to the others…

That’s one thing I’m not looking forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But wait-there's more-


	73. Lift The Blinds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final nail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Being lied to.

**_You see?_ **

. . . . . My Shadow is still talking to me….

**_It was all just an untruth._ **

……………………..

My insides **hurt.**

**_Well. . .that’s betrayal for you._ **

**_I guess . . ._ **

I’m torn between wanting to stay. . . . . . . .and wanting to go back to _yell_ at her.

**_The latter action would not be advised._ **

-And I know that, but still-!!

I’m so-

_Angry._

“My friends are still there. . .” I whisper-

**_They’ll be fine._ **

“Aoi. . .”

**_. . .Okay, I don’t know about her._ **

**_But she’ll probably get rescued._ **

…

I draw in a painful breath.

The portal’s closing.

All those beautiful blooms, going away…

I meet two pairs of eyes:

Green, and blue-tinged-violet.

“Thank you”.

And you too. . .

**_It was nothing._ **

...

. . . . . . .A part of me reawakens-

Can’t believe I’d almost lost it over a lie.

**_Nice work._ **

I look down.

A shadow extends beneath my feet.

A seamless joining together again.

And it’s done.

It’s _all_ done. . .

I blink, shake my head.

Free of the pink clutter and smoke at last-

“Envy?”

“Candy Pop?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“What is it?”

“. . . .Where’s Michael?”

I brush some hair from my face.

“……How’s the Dream World? Where is everyone? I think-I’ve missed lot”.

I smile, albeit a little bitterly.

“Haven’t I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, she's back-


	74. End Of Brainwashing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mind can finally relax!
> 
> (For a few seconds).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings I think.

-We all feel it.

The change in the air, the pink receding, the disgusting air quality and scent-

Everything.

The lights shine stronger than ever-

Everything’s back to the way it was. . .

“Will you look at that”, is Morivin’s only comment.

-As for me, I’m scrambling for her portrait-!!

It’d healed itself.

I slot it back into place-

But it hangs off.

Which is weird. . .

Oh well.

At least we made it this far.

“Look Delta! It’s better in here-“

Alex is talking excitedly, and meanwhile, Rene is stirring.

-So _that’s_ gonna be fun . . .

Don’t know where Jack and the Nurse went.

Sal’s still as comatose as ever.

Kirigiri-san’s not back yet with her check-up.

That’s _also_ gonna be fun.

It could be worse.

-I knock on the Wooden Floor, don’t you **dare** call me an idiot.

We’re doing our best over here. . .okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAYYYY


	75. Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last impacts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings?

“Look. . .”

Even though I knew he couldn’t hear me, I pointed to the rapidly-glowing walls.

The mirrors, shining-

“She did it”.

I don’t know how, but she did-

“We’re safe”.

We’re safe.

-

A light.

Brief, but I still saw it.

I’d been reawakened, kind-of…

Again-

This time.

I had to reach out.

Someone-

Someone _had t_ o be there….

_‘Hello?’_

I focused all of my will—

_‘Is anyone there?’_

I searched-

_‘Anyone-‘_

-A flicker.

Greenish mist.

_‘Anyone—‘_

Instinctively, I held out my hand toward it.

_‘. . . .Who’s there?’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one to date.


	76. Oct. 3rd, 2020, Sat.: Finally Connected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The knowledge isn't stuck anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Coma.

_-What the-!?_

I straighten up.

“Something wrong?” Candy Pop asks-

“I-“

I can. . .feel _something!_

Someone-

“. . . . .Give me a second”.

I press a hand to my forehead-

‘Who are you!?

What do you want-‘

‘Hello-oh’.

-A second voice.

‘Who is this?’

‘Sal. From the Mindscape-‘

‘-! You guys-‘

‘Yeah-listen, we figured out how to get Alice’s body back. . .I can’t wake up, but I can tell you this much, or rather, _show_ you’.

I’m about to ask him what he means-

. . .

“You okay?”

-I repeat myself for the thousandth time-

“-Huh? Wha-“

His green eyes stop being flat.

“What was that?” Alice looks worried-

“Um. . .”

He blinks.

Several times.

-I can see him, calculating something…

“-I’ll tell you later. I think we’re about to be missed. -It has to do with getting your body back”.

She lit up.

“Okay”.

. . . . . .

_This can’t end well-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost the last nail to cause the future.


	77. Oct. 4th, 2020, Sun: Alice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's coming back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied attempted murder, brainwashing. Guilt.

_When I think back, the more I realize what it must have looked like from your point-of-view…_

_-Darn it, we really do need to find you…._

_I’m restless._

_“-What are you worrying about?”_

_Michael’s watching me with one eye open-_

_“Just…everything going on._

_How are we supposed to get her all caught up-?”_

_“Write it down?”_

_A shrug._

_“. . . . . . Okay, but in what?”_

_“Anything?”_

_-True…………_

_“Probably some kind of book”, I admit._

_“-Do you have that?”_

_“No…..”_

_-I get a flash of inspiration._

_“But I think I know who does-come on!”_

_“What-“_

_He stands up slowly, a tired cat._

_Or something like that-_

_“The Mindscape?”_

_I sigh._

_“It’s the best we can do. . .”_

_“We don’t even know what it looks like right now”._

_“. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .”_

_Missed opportunity._

_“You could always just tell her. . .”_

_“Yeah…………….”_

_Also true._

_“You’re right”._

_I sit back, wondering if there is a way to catch up to Alice at all._

_-And then I realize-_

_“Wait”._

_“Wait, what?”_

_“Maybe he would know-“_

_“Who?”_

_“Candy Pop!”_

_My mind’s in the middle of a eureka moment!_

_“He might have a clue. . . . .he IS in her body-“_

_“That sounds weird”, Michael remarks._

_I wince._

_“I know. . .”_

_-But he does have that wish._

_The really Final one—_

_“We might be able to rouse him”._

_“Should be fun”._

_< 3_

_Right where we left him:_

_Mid-stride._

_With my writing up-and-down his arm._

_I wonder what he’ll think of that when he wakes up._

_“Okay, so how are we doing this?”_

_“Um. . .”_

_Envy grows sheepish. . ._

_“I hadn’t thought that far ahead-“_

_“Alright”._

_I tap him on the shoulder._

_He doesn’t move._

_“Make him sneeze?”_

_“Would that work?”_

_“Could. . .”_

_-Back to the kitchen we go!!_

_A little pepper never hurt anyone, right?_

_Grab that, and then it’s the Return Trip._

_I dump a little onto the Demon’s nostrils._

_“That’s done…”_

_I step to the side so I won’t get blown into next week when the schnoz_ does _explode._

_“I can’t believe we’re doing this”, is Envy’s comment._

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

**_“AH-CHOO!!”_ **

_Every fixture in the hallway swings backwards and sticks._

_Candy Pop sneezes five more times-_

_“What-_ achoo! _-did you-_ achoo-!! _-do-!!!”_

_“Glad to see you up and around”, Envy says._

_-The Demon wipes his nose on his arm._

_“-!?”_

_“Hi”._

_“-Michael, did you-“_

_“Hey, at least it helps explain things”._

  
_Grumbling under his breath, he reads._

_. . ._

_“Oh my God, you guys are_ idiots”.

_-Envy blushes a deep-green._

_“You really did that-“_

_Alternately horrified and proud._

_“We kinda need to un-do it”, I say, “You’ve got that Wish Orb in your pocket”._

_“I have What”._

_-Cue searching-_

_“How in the-“_

_“Long story”._

_The Plant Dude doesn’t look too happy about it._

_“-It’s gonna do whatever I want”._

_“Well. . .if you make your wish super-detailed, it might”._

_Envy sighs._

_“It’s the best chance we have”._

_“-Just please let the kid keep her body”, I add._

_“She’s got WHAT back now-!?”_

_“You’re basically her Twin”, I explain._

_“How busy have you two been!??”_

_“Very”, Envy concludes._

_-?_

_. . ._

_I wake up-_

_-I’m promptly practically knocked over by a flying plant hug._

_“Alice!!”_

_“Envy . . . ?”_

_“I am so, SO sorry-“_

_“What happened-“_

_“Me”._

_Candy Pop waves-_

_Woah._

_He’s gone from my mirror image to a tall, blue-haired person in reddish robes._

_“How-“_

_“I undid the verbal locking Clause saying only a person could undo my being trapped”._

_“Oh wow-“_

_I remember the other Wishes we’d used._

_I’m taking his story as credible._

_-Also helps he wasn’t alone…_

_“Hi Alice”._

_“Michael!”_

_“Yup-“_   
_“What happened to you?”_

_“Someone tried to kill me”._

_He pulls on his hood._

_“I snuck out, and then apparently got brainwashed….probably why I have apparently lost the paralyzing fear I should be feeling right now”._

_“-I think you got brainwashed backward”._

_“Shh-!”_

_He puts a finger to his lips, and smiles._

_-I nod, and mime zipping mine and throwing away the key._

_“So what have I missed?” I ask._

_“Not that much”._

_Purple boy shrugs._

_Envy closes his eyes to check something-_

_I see a faint, green wave flow._

_It's tinged with pale-violet. . . ._

_“-I guess the Past’s resolved itself. For now”._

_“What do you mean?”_

_“I mean, that shadowy stuff almost came back”._

_“Oh…”_

_I shiver._

_“Well…thank you…..it must’ve been hard”._

_“Yeah……”_

_Envy sits on the floor._

_“I’m so tired-“_

_“It’s okay”._

_“. . . . . . . . . . . . . . “_

_I wonder what he’s thinking._

_“It’s pretty chill now”._

_“Yes”._

_I check my heartbeat._

_Still there…_

_-He notices._

_“I swear I’ll make it up to you-to everyone-“_

_“You don’t have to do a thing”._

_I take his face in my hands._

_“What-“_

_“You’ve already done a lot, right?”_

_“. . . Yes”._

_“So if you want to smooth it over maybe it’s better to just let other people do things for a while”._

_“….Yeah”._

_It’s progress…_

But is it what he needs?

_I almost wish I didn’t think of it._

_I have a strange idea on my mind, though. . ._

_He’s already in ‘disguise’._

_“Though lately, I’ve been wondering about how mom and my brother are doing-“_

_“-I…can look?”_

_“Would you, please?”_

_After all, I was fully-physically lifted from Reality._

_I’ve been a Missing Person for about a year and most months……_

_“No one’s gonna know it’s you”._

_And_ maybe-

_“It’ll be okay”._

_“…….Are you sure?”_

_“Yes. She’s got a fiery streak like me. I don’t want them to get into trouble. . . . .”_

_“I’ll do my best”._

_He’s seen them._

_They’ve_ never _seen him._

_“Thank you. . . .”_

_I hug him._

_“-You’re not mad?” I hear him whisper-_

_“I did say yes when I shouldn’t have, so-“_

_“But I could’ve not done it at all”._

_“I still believe in you”._

_-He stiffens._

_“You just have to re-direct that nervous energy elsewhere”._

_-He doesn’t reply._

_He’s got it…_

_I rub his back, then let go._

_“Good luck”._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor guy really do need to get distracted.


	78. Another Rabbit Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Formerly-Missing-Person looks for other questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Mentions of brainwashing.

Confronted with seeming peace.

I don’t believe it.

Perhaps because I spent so much time in the past watching everything go right to h*-

Ever since I’d been smashed through that mirror, I’d been stuck looking like a spirit.

If there’s a way to undo that, I want to know.

“-You have it handled, here?”

“More or less”.

Vero is trying to fix the hanging portrait-

“-Why the-!?”

“She’s probably been affected by the Post-Brainwashing”.

I shrug.

“That’s…gotta be fun-“

Alex grimaces.

“Do you think she’ll remember that she saw me?”

Delta is wondering-

“Maybe, maybe not”.

It is mind manipulation…

“But her Shadow will remember, for certain”.

“Okay. . .”

_That might be the least of your worries._

I don’t say it.

“I might check on the others”.

“You do that-“

I walk away.

Because that’s not my only goal.

She nods as I approach.

“It’s gone”, I start, “How is he?”

“He’s fine”.

“……………..”

He’s glazed over.

“You haven’t seen an Alien and his Girlfriend making out around here, have you?”

“I have not”.

“Good”.

That’s all I needed to hear-

“What are you up to?”

“Research”.

“For-?”

“Mirror Things”.

“Didn’t that go poorly for you last time?”

“-This time will be different”.

I got most of the issues ironed out while I was absent.

“Don’t get lost again”.

“I-won’t”.

. . . .

_Can you not with my confidence!?_

…

-This is why I end up choosing a nearby glass.

I find my hand trembling-

It slides through.

I brace myself.

Nothing happens.

_Alright. . ._

I slip into the Mirror World.

I can’t let myself relax just yet-

I still need answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's always more questions, isn't there?

**Author's Note:**

> Hoi, hoi, Part 3, let's go-
> 
> (TM Rea/Aoi).


End file.
